InuYasha: Two Bodies, One Soul
by Angel of the Fayth
Summary: It was once said that it would take one soul, one wish, to cast the jewel away for good. It will take two people, united by one soul to purify the jewel once and for all. Two lives as opposite as night and day; they will both learn important lessons from the other on a journey to save the world and to find themselves. Rated M for language, action scenes, and future limes/lemons! OC
1. A Dream too Real Part 1

A/N: I have been heavily into InuYasha for a while now. And I want Fayth in it : Yes, Fayth from my fanfic and deviantArt. My OC Fayth 3

But do not worry, for even though I would love to have InuYasha as my personal lover, everyone will be paired with their respective person. InuYasha x Kagome, Miroku x Sango, Kouga x Ayame (cameo type during the end). Sesshomaru though, will have no one because Kagura is already dead here and Rin is a little girl; besides I wouldn't be comfortable with Sesshomaru and Rin since I only see them in a father and daughter type of relationship. Besides Fayth and InuYasha...their personalities wouldn't work out too well

NOTE: THIS TAKES PLACE RIGHT AT INUYASHA THE FINAL ACT EPISODE 8 OR, IF FOLLOWING THE MANGA, AT CHAPTER 458. ALSO FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS STORY FAYTH'S AGE IS ALTERED AS WELL AS SOME CHARACTERISTICS. I may switch between the manga and anime dialogue for this so please know that ahead of time.

Fayth: born in the year 2000, age when first introduced is 19, year when she first gets into the feudal era 2019 black hair with dark red highlights, brown eyes.

Itsuki: born in the year 2000, age when introduced is 19. Black hair and violet eyes.

Negumi: born in the year 1999, age when introduced is 20. Blue hair and green eyes.

Zarudin: born in the year 1999, age when introduced is 20. Blue hair and blue eyes.

* * *

Summary: It was once said that it would take one soul, one wish, to cast the jewel away for good. Two bodies, two lives joined together under one mission. It will take two people, united by one soul to purify the jewel once and for all. Two lives as opposite as night and day; they will both learn important lessons from the other on a journey to save the world and to find themselves. To be loved, and loved in return... Rated M for language, action scenes, and future limes/lemons

* * *

**Chapter 1: A dream too real - Part 1**

* * *

_'Where am I...'_ looking around she could see she was falling...and holding a bow? _'What is going on?!'_

"Save the miko with that bow"

_'Who was that?'_ she questioned; afraid to open her eyes and see. She felt the wind rushing past her, her body unable to move; the rush of adrenaline pumping through her body. _'Is this the end?'_

_'...Am I...going to die?'_

"Kagome!" another voice called out. Suddenly she felt arms surround her; wrap around her. "Kagome! Kagome the bow...you were able to get it..."

_'What? Ka..gome...? That isn't my name...'_ Her mind was racing; unable to understand where she was.

"Kagome!" said the voice once again.

Her eyes opened slowly; eyeing the man who saved her. The image was a blur, flashes of silver and red in her eyes; she could barely make out his face but she did see a pair of golden eyes looking at her and...was that...dog ears?

"Inu...Yasha...?"

* * *

She immediately sat up in her bed; tugging the covers close to her, as if to protect her from harm. She was drenched in sweat, her clothes practically clinging to her body. Sweeping aside several strands of wet raven hair she blinked several times in disbelief at what happened; only to realize she was home, safe in bed. She glanced over at the clock on top of the nightstand. _'It's only 6?'_ she wondered, getting up and stretching, feeling her bones re-align themselves and her body becoming as nimble as it always has. She headed for the bathroom; stopping in front of the sink. Looking up at the mirror she could see her chocolate eyes staring back at her. Clutching onto the sides of the sink until her knuckles became white she shook her head in a vain attempt to erase the thoughts and images racing around her mind. These strange dreams have been plaguing her for the past few days and, the strangest thing about them was, that they felt completely real.

"Kagome...and...InuYasha..."

* * *

Kagome opened her eyes to see InuYasha looking at her. Suddenly it dawned on her everything that just happened. _'It was an illusion...'_ Kagome thought; recounting the events she went through to acquire the bow in her hand, the bow that can save Kikyou, the revived miko. She looked up at the silver haired hanyou that saved her.

"Are you really...the real InuYasha?" She asked him, still slightly dazed.

"Yeah...are you alright?" he asked; visibly worried at the condition of the miko he held in his arms.

_'He came for me...'_ she thought, slightly relieved at that statement. "Yeah..." she answered in return. If only she could stop in this moment, with her in his arms, if only...they could stay like this. But she quickly snapped back into reality at the sight of spider webs descending from the clouds.

"Naraku's spider webs?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Wha-"

"InuYasha, let's hurry!"

* * *

Fayth continually splashed water into her face, the room in complete silence while she tried to find a reason, any reason, for her dreams. She hasn't been able to acquire any decent sleep in days, every time she would try she would find herself in some sort of fairy tale world. Every time the details would become clearer and in this latest dream she could finally hear names. Her dreams were filled with what seemed like monsters, and the body she would see things through did not feel like her own...but strangely it also did. She felt that somehow, in some strange way, she _was_ there...maybe she was finally losing it.

"Get over it Fayth!" she angrily told herself; shutting off the faucet and looking straight into the mirror, mentally scolding herself for such thoughts. She grabbed a towel nearby and dried herself off, tossing the thing aside, without regard to where it would land, and heading back to her bed. She scowled at having to change her sheets, which were completely soaked, but did it nonetheless. _'I can't keep going on without some sleep...' _she thought repeatedly, in a vain attempt to force herself to sleep. Instead she laid there, in silence, for what seemed like hours, waiting until finally the fatigue began to overtake her.

* * *

_'Oh for fucks sake...'_ she thought, again aware that she was back in the weird dream world. She had no control of her body, merely a spectator, subjected to only sense whatever the body she was seeing from could sense. It felt weird, somewhat like an out of body experience, except she was trapped in someone else's body. The scenery felt depressing, the sky painted with a bloody hue, the wind quiet, it felt like a scene fit for death's touch. Up ahead Fayth could see what appeared to be a man with long silver hair and red haori, hakama, and obi. _'Isn't that the guy who saved m-...uh I mean her?'_ Fayth wondered in silence as she looked at his white dog ears that rested on the top of his head, pressed into his hair in sadness. _'I wonder if they are as soft as they look...'_ she wondered but was quickly shaken from those thoughts at noticing that he was carrying a someone in his arms, a woman from the looks of it. Fayth inwardly gasped from her position realizing that it was the same guy, the one who was called InuYasha.

"I'm sorry...could you leave the two of us alone..." InuYasha said.

Suddenly she saw hands covering her face, and heard the sounds of crying. _'Is she...crying?'_ Fayth wondered again. It felt weird, she felt like an invader inside someone else's body; seeing someone else's life. She wasn't sure what to do, and even though she tried she couldn't wake up. The sky around them darkened, the girl sat down with her knees bent and her arms hugging them tightly, her head hidden within her arms and hair blocking Fayth's complete view. She could feel she wasn't alone, she felt the presence of others around her, but for some reason Fayth felt that the woman yearned to be with someone else. Fayth heard voices, probably from the others around, but she couldn't quite tell what they were saying. This woman was in pain and Fayth felt it, as if it were her own pain, which prevented her from paying any attention to her surroundings.

"I wasn't able to do anything...If only I'd gotten there sooner...If only I had more power...Kikyou wouldn't be..." she said, visibly distraught and shaken.

"That damned Naraku...It sure looked like he really didn't want Kikyou and InuYasha to see each other. But...he made it in time." the male besides her replied.

Fayth couldn't register the conversation; she felt her heart being overwhelmed with the girls emotions. _'This girl...Kagome...her pain...I feel like it is killing me'_ Fayth thought, watching through Kagome's eyes at InuYasha and the woman up ahead.

_'Kikyou...'_

_'Kikyou...'_

_'Huh? Kik...Kikyou?' _Fayth wondered at the name being repeated in Kagome's thoughts. She continued to eye the couple, immersed in a hushed conversation, far away enough that she couldn't hear. Suddenly a flood of pain and grief filled Fayth at the sight before her, InuYasha leaning forward and kissing the woman, tears streaming down his cheeks. She could barely see it, but it was there, she knew that he was kissing her. The pain was suffocating her, it reminded her of parts of her life where she felt the exact same pain, it caused her to feel weak and, if she were in her body, she was sure she would have been in tears. _'This...Kagome's pain...I can barely handle so many emotions...' _Fayth thought. She was used to closing herself off, blocking off any sign of pain, so this surge of emotions overwhelmed her. She felt everything that Kagome was feeling, pain, grief, sorrow, jealousy, and even...love? _'Love...? Is she in love with him?'_ Fayth wondered while baring through the pain. Suddenly, a bright light brought her back to observing the scene in front of her; the woman in InuYasha's arms was now gone and, in her place was a bright orb of light. Several flying serpent like things began to swarm around InuYasha and the light, guiding the orb towards her and the other people around.

_'Kikyou'_

_'Kikyou? Was that woman Kikyou?' _Fayth questioned upon hearing the name within Kagome's thoughts.

"This light..." the man several feet in front of her said.

"It's Kikyou's soul." the woman beside him said.

"It's like she's greeting us" said the small child with auburn colored hair.

"It's so warm..." the girl said, tears running down her face. Fayth was hit with another wave of emotions; although the jealousy was gone and the love, at this point, unnoticeable with the amount of sadness and guilt overshadowing it. Fayth herself felt like she was crying while watching the strange serpent creatures carry the light up into the starry night sky. _'Why am I feeling this way? My heart feels like it can't handle much more...I need to wake up...DAMMIT WAKE UP' _she mentally screamed, the pain unbearable by now. Her determination was shaken though, while she watched Kagome stand up and walk towards InuYasha. Fayth could feel how Kagome's heart sped up, the intensity of her emotions doubling with every step.

"InuYasha" she heard Kagome say.

"Kikyou...won't have to suffer anymore..." she heard him say. "I wanted...to protect her forever..." The words stabbed at Kagome's heart and, in extension, at Fayth's. Fayth felt this pain before, she knew what it was like for someone you love to practically throw you to the ground. Fayth was angry, she wanted to scream, she wanted to wake up already, but she couldn't. Her vision, or rather, her vision of what Kagome was seeing was blurring. She was slipping away, further away from Kagome and that world, feeling herself falling into darkness. Fayth kept hearing InuYasha's words echoing in her head and Kagome's feelings still pounding within her body.

_"The Shikon no Tama...only you and she can make it pure..."_

_"What? Who is that?" _She questioned.

_"Shikon no Tama...one soul...two bodies..."_

And as soon as she heard that, complete silence and darkness surrounded her.

* * *

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	2. A Dream too Real Part 2

A/N: I would **like **to try and update this story _at least_ twice a month...seeing as you know...I am also working on my OC Fayth's own story and also working on my arts and piano~

But yeah besides that...

Disclaimer! (Because I totally forgot): Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Fayth (full name to be disclosed in later chapter), Itsuki Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friends who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other character that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine then believe me that that amount of smut I would have drawn up by now would leave many possibly scarred for life...and Fayth would totally be famous by now.~

* * *

**Chapter 2: A Dream Too Real - Part 2**

* * *

After the events that transpired sleep just seemed to be out of the question. The peculiar team just stayed there, in silence, looking at the starry sky. Miroku, the monk who carried with him a generations long curse within his right hand stayed next to Sango, the last living taijiya of her village. Shippou, the tiny orphaned fox youkai, stayed beside them along with the neko youkai Kirara. Kagome, the schoolgirl miko from the future, simply sat in stilled silence. A group such as theirs would be impossible to find elsewhere, yet they have managed to forge a strong friendship with each other and remain close; regardless of the obstacles in their way.

Kagome's beautiful raven hair with dark blue highlights, which usually flowed down to her mid-back, flowed in the wind. Her chocolate brown eyes, usually filled with life and happiness, where now dulled and empty. She couldn't help but feel sadness; she wasn't able to save Kikyou, she caused InuYasha's pain, she was unable to kill Naraku...she was useless. She glanced to her side to see Kouga in deep concentration, his blue eyes staring at his legs where his shards were once imbedded.

"It must be horrible for you Kouga...to have your shards taken..." Kagome said, her voice barely loud enough that only he would hear it.

"Kagome...are you going to be alright?" Kouga asked, trying to avoid the conversation about his missing shards.

"Yeah...Kouga-kun, you stay well, too."

"Man this sucks. My legs feel like lead. I guess I'll just have to live with it." Kouga said with a serious expression on his face. He had become so used to the shards that without them he felt incomplete.

"Kouga-kun..." _'At least Kouga-kun is alive...at least we could save that much...'_ Kagome thought, her mind still unable to fully accept the loss of Kikyou.

InuYasha sat in silence the entire time, replaying the events of last night over and over in head, replaying their final conversation...

* * *

_He leaned down to kiss her, tears streaming down his face. He was helpless, unable to save her, but he could at least give her a final kiss. When Kikyou disappeared he was surrounded with a bright light. He felt warm, weightless, and a sense of peace fill him. Soon a silhouette appeared before his eyes; the figure at first still but soon moved towards him to reveal Kikyou herself. He saw her expression of pure happiness, no hint of remorse or anger present._

_"InuYasha...please do not be alarmed; we are here upon the gate of rebirth..." Kikyou said, attempting to ease any confusion from the hanyou before her._

_"Kikyou...I don't understand..."InuYasha began to say before Kikyou cut him off._

_"Do not worry...you are not meant to be here...I have simply brought you along so that we may have a final conversation before I go" she replied, closing her eyes for a moment before opening them again to see the man before her and smile at him._

_InuYasha watched her smiled, at first it was barely noticeable but then it grew. He had never remembered her smiling in such a way, even when she was alive. She seemed to be in such peace and happiness that it left him somewhat confused._

_"InuYasha...I know that you no longer hold feelings for me...at least, not the feelings that we once felt for each other when I was truly alive."_

_"Ki-Kikyou...I don't..."_

_"Please, let me continue InuYasha. I have known for a long while that you no longer held such feelings for me, and that the one you love is Kagome. I have also known that you have been hesitant to be near her; and that I was the cause of it."_

_"Kikyou, how long have you known this?"_

_"It has been a while now..."_

_"Then why have you been silent?" the hanyou asked in obvious confusion; not just towards Kikyou but also to himself. He had more than one chance to tell Kikyou himself but he was too afraid to clarify his feelings. The guilt of not being able to save Kikyou had not helped him either. He tried to push away any feelings for Kagome out of regret many times. He didn't want to hurt her since he felt that he was obligated to give his life to Kikyou. Yet somehow, Kagome managed to pass through every barrier he would set up around him. She managed to, without him knowing it, make her way into his heart and soul. What was once love for only Kikyou had become love for Kagome...his Kagome._

_"Forgive me...I guess that although I knew it...I could not help but be a bit selfish. We have never had the chance to live out our lives together, but now I am at peace...as I want you to be."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I do not want you to regret my passing, I was already dead and it is only natural that I would eventually pass... Please do not feel any guilt for me InuYasha for I am passing in peace. I have come to accept things as they are and, although I cannot fix what I have done wrong before...I can offer you some words that I hope may change your future."_

_"Kikyou..."  
_

_The miko looked at InuYasha, her mind had never seemed so clear. She wanted to give InuYasha the chance to find his happiness. She could not change what has been done, she could not undo the pain she caused him and Kagome but she wanted, no needed, to show them that she was remorseful and that she only wants to see them happy._

_"InuYasha do not deny your feelings for her any longer, let her know clearly that you love her...that you have loved her for a while. Do not deny yourself this chance of happiness; for it is when you both accept your feelings completely as they are...only then can you both find happiness."_

_"Kikyou I'm sorry that I could not tell you before...what I felt...what I feel for..."_

_Kikyou again quickly cut him off "Do not apologize; as I have said, I have come to terms with reality. Please...tell her I am sorry for that last kiss...it would seem that even in the end I wished we could still be together as we once were..." This time Kikyou was cut off by InuYasha when he grabbed her arm to pull her to him. He hugged her, he wanted to give her this last moment, even if she knew that it was not out of love. She held him as well, if only for a while, as the light around them became brighter and the last thing seen was a single tear escape from Kikyou's eye._

* * *

How could he not feel bad? Kikyou knew for so long that he no longer loved her as he once had. She carried such a burden in her heart this whole time without him knowing. InuYasha felt guilt fill his heart; how could he be so selfish? How could he manage to hurt them both? Kikyou told him that she was at peace...but was she really? Could she have lied so he could feel better? So many questions that swarmed around in his mind and he simply sat in silence, unable to answer any of them.

"Well then..." Kouga said while he got up; walking up ahead to wear InuYasha was sitting.

"Kouga-kun?" Kagome called out to the wolf youkai; wondering what he was going to do.

Kouga stopped just behind InuYasha, lifting his right leg and practically letting his foot hit the back of the hanyou's head.

"Hey"

The others around him stayed completely still, a bit apprehensive about what the possible outcome of this situation could be. InuYasha turned his head and looked towards Kouga, his face completely devoid of the usual anger and irritation that Kouga seemed to easily provoke in him.

"...You leaving?" he asked, his voice also lacking any hint of emotion.

"Yeah...I don't want to end up being a burden...by staying with you like this."

"I see...So your leaving, too..."

"Tch, stop being so depressed" Kouga replied, couching down next to the hanyou. "Well right now...it looks like you don't have any tough words for me..." suddenly without hesitation Kouga slammed his forehead against InuYasha's in anger. "You think you're the only one heartbroken?! Huh?!" he yelled out.

The others around him at this point became even more frightened than before; usually InuYasha would insult Kouga and attempt to hit him but this time there was no telling what he would do in response.

"I know..." was all that the hanyou said in response as Kouga pulled away again.

"Jeez...having to leave Kagome behind like that, you're starting to sound like me"

"...Yeah"

"Don't say yeah all meek like that." Kouga slammed his fist onto InuYasha's head. "It makes me sick!"

"You bastard..." InuYasha replied looking up at the youkai. "I figured if you were injured I should just sit and listen..." he flexed his fingers and quickly attempted to slash at Kouga who jumped up to avoid the attack "I'll kick your ass!"

Kagome walked up towards the two of them. "Kouga-kun?"

The wolf youkai turned to face her "Kagome this stupid dog is hopeless. It's gonna take a lot of work to get him back to normal." he said, pointing at the hanyou behind him. "Kagome...It looks like all we can do is have you be with him."

"Yeah.." she replied, nodding once in agreement. "Thank you. And I'm sorry to make you worry..." she looked down to the ground, avoiding his gaze.

"Yeah." was all he said before walking towards her; pulling her towards him so he could hug her.

"Farewell Kouga-kun" Kagome said, knowing this could be the final time they meet.

"See, ya Kagome" he replied.

_'That damn Kouga'_ was all InuYasha thought while watching them.

Kouga was soon joined by his two fellow pack members who were able to catch up to him hours before.

"Well, see ya Kagome-neesan!" one of them yelled out

"Goodbye, everyone." The other said

"Stay well." Miroku replied. Sango and Shippou beside him, watching as the trio were about to take their leave.

"Goodbye" Kagome said.

"Kouga!" a voice called out. The group turned around to see the hanyou standing, a look of fierce determination in his eyes. "They weren't in vain! Your feelings...of wanting to battle Naraku until now..."

"Heh! 'course not!" he replied, turning around completely to face them. "Kagome, if that mutts courtesy ever runs out come see me some time!" he yelled out before turning to run off.

"Sure.." she replied as the group watched them run off into the distance; Kouga leading the way while the other two struggled to keep up with his pace as always.

"And they're gone." Shippou said, glancing from over Miroku's shoulder.

* * *

TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT!

TAKE THIS JOB AND SHOVE IT!

Fayth groaned, her hand reaching from under the covers to reach for the cell phone ringing loudly on her nightstand. At this point she hated the ringtone, it was hilarious before seeing her 'superiors' face at hearing it but now it was cutting into her sleep time and she was not happy. After some misses she finally grabbed the item and pulled it under the covers to answer.

"Hello? Do you get some sadistic pleasure in calling me while I'm sleeping?" Fayth asked the woman on the other line.

"Nice to hear from you too; and if you actually paid any attention it is one in the afternoon." the voice replied.

"Negumi...do you think I care what the hell the time is? I'm sleeping, and your bothering me. What do you want?" Fayth groaned, sitting up and switching over to speaker. She lightly dropped the phone onto the bed while she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"Get Zarudin and come down to the agency...there is an urgent assignment that needs to be taken care of."

"Its friggin Saturday! Can I not get a day off like a normal person!" she yelled out from the bathroom. She was somehow able to pull herself from her bed and walk to the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.

"First off, your nowhere near normal. Second, you get enough time off _between_ assignments. And lastly..." she paused "I am telling you to get your ass down here. I expect you to get here within the hour." And with that the person hung up.

Fayth hung her head in defeat, she regretted picking up that call in the first place. Looking up at the mirror she sighed heavily; knowing that her whole weekend will go to work.

"So much for a lazy weekend..."

* * *

"InuYasha, we should just camp here and rest for the day." Miroku said. The group had been traveling for various hours now and night was already creeping up on them. Currently they were in a forest, surrounded by various tall trees which could help keep them concealed for the night.

InuYasha turned to see the group, he wanted to tell them no. He wanted to keep moving, but he saw the look of exhaustion in their eyes; they haven't slept all night. He looked at Kagome and felt his heart tear at the sight, she seemed so sad and lifeless, the scent of her tears still present. He couldn't cause her more pain, he wouldn't bear it if she shed more tears because of him.

"Yeah..." he replied, giving in for her sake.

Kagome watched InuYasha turn around and run off, probably to find some food for the night. Her soul cried out in pain, she didn't want him to go. She wanted to hold onto him, she wanted to comfort him, she wanted to know if he blamed her. Kagome was shaken from her thoughts when she felt someone place a hand on her shoulder. She looked behind to see Sango, her brown hair flowing slowly with the wind, and her brown eyes full of concern.

"Kagome, you should get some rest." the taijiya said.

Kagome slowly nodded, her body moving automatically on its own, setting up her sleeping bag for her to rest in. Even though her body begged for sleep, her mind did not want to. Lately she had been plagued with strange dreams that she wanted to ask Kaede about, but wasn't able to. Her dreams seemed so real but they were not anything that she recognized. She dreamt of several people doing various things, possibly very illegal things. It felt like things you would expect from the American gang movies that her brother liked to watch. Maybe it was from the fatigue that she felt from the more frequent fights lately; or maybe it was some way to cope with everything she deals with in her own life...she wasn't sure but it did bother her somewhat.

The events following after were pretty much a blur to her. InuYasha came back with several fishes for dinner. The group ate in complete silence, Kagome herself was not very hungry but Sango and Miroku insisted that she try to eat as much as she could. She didn't try to talk to InuYasha, she wasn't sure what to say and wasn't sure what he was thinking. She and Sango bathed in a nearby river, luckily Miroku didn't try to attempt his usual lecherous peeking. After she made her way into her sleeping bag, Shippou in her arms as always, and closed her eyes to invite the incoming dreams ahead. Sang slept nearby with Kirara next to her while Miroku slept sitting up against a tree. InuYasha was sitting among one of the tree branches above Kagome in order to keep watch for the night.

* * *

"Look whether you like it or not you are going to do what I say!"

_'Huh?'_ Kagome thought to herself, eyeing the blue haired woman in front of her. Again fully aware that she was dreaming, she found herself in what seemed like a conference room. In front of her sat a woman with bright blue hair that ended at the nape of her neck; except for two forelocks ended at her collarbone. Her skin was pale and her eyes were a strikingly beautiful emerald green color. She was wearing a blue pantsuit that, for some odd reason, seemed to be the exact same color as her hair.

"Would you listen to yourself?! Since when do I work outside of Italy?!" the voice yelled out. From what she could tell the voice must have belonged to whomever she was seeing out of.

"Hey don't get angry at Negumi, she isn't the one who chooses what we do you know." a male voice replied. Kagome's field of vision snapped towards the source, a man with long dark blue hair, with equally dark blue eyes. He had a black open coat on with a red shirt below.

"Bite me Zarudin." The woman replied in a hiss.

Suddenly a loud bang was heard. The woman looked over to the other woman, known as Negumi. She was now standing up, her hands clenched into fists on top of the table. A clear expression of anger across her face. "Regardless of what you think, you **will** do this!" Negumi sat back down in her seat, her eyes closed for a few seconds in order to regain her thoughts. Her facial expression became more relaxed and she opened her eyes once more, full of determination at what she was going to say next. "And...you will not be alone..."

"Keh, who Zarudin? It's not like I haven't worked with him before." the woman said, waving her hand around.

"No...not Zarudin."

"My God...don't tell me it's you?!"

Negumi sighed. "No it's not me either...you'll be working with..."

The door behind Negumi was opened, effectively cutting off what she would say. All eyes were on the man standing in the doorway. Kagome was taken by surprise at who she saw _'He looks just like...'_

"LIKE **HELL** I'LL WORK WITH HIM!" The woman yelled out.

Negumi and Zarudin exchanged quick glances at each other before she quickly stood up and left the room.

The man stood there, an arrogant smirk clear on his face, his violet eyes staring straight at the woman. His gaze so piercing that even Kagome felt like she were frozen. Suddenly Kagome found herself overwhelmed by a tidal wave of emotions; the emotions of the woman she was seeing from passing through her. Kagome was paralyzed with these feelings of hate, anger, pain, and betrayal. _'I can barely think! What's going on?! Why does he look like...'_

"Good to see you too...as closed off as ever I see." The man said, taking a couple of steps forward.

"YOU HAVE **NO** RIGHT TO BE HERE!" The woman yelled at him. The anger radiating from her body. Zarudin quickly stood up and moved to stand alongside Fayth as a precautionary measure.

The man frowned slightly at her response. "Why not? We are all working for the same people...I thought you would be more open to working with me seeing as we..."

"NO DON'T DARE GO THERE! WE HAVE NOTHING!" the woman yelled back, cutting him off.

"As we used to be lovers..." he ended, the arrogant smirk back on his face in full force.

Kagome was suddenly hit with the same emotions from before, this time at least doubled along with what felt like a very faint feeling of longing, of love. _'She still loves him...'_ she thought sadly, reminded of her own problems with her emotions over InuYasha and Kikyou. _'What could he have done to her for her to feel so betrayed?'_

Suddenly Kagome was shaken from her thoughts at seeing the woman lunge towards him. The anger clearly overriding any other emotion at this point; the only thing stopping her from killing him then and there was the man who was beside her, this time using his arms to hold her back.

"LET GO OF ME ZARUDIN!" the woman screamed at the man keeping her from committing murder.

"Regardless of what you feel and what this bastard has done, killing him won't change anything" Zarudin replied calmly from behind her.

"It'll make me feel **LOADS** better! That's enough for me!"

Negumi re-entered the room, this time accompanied by three other men who immediately went to Zarudin to help hold the woman back. Kagome was completely shaken at the scene unfolding in front of her. She had never been overwhelmed by such a violent urge to push away someone that caused her pain, it made her marvel as well as fear this woman whose body she was inhabiting. The man in question, feigning being hurt, slowly walked towards the woman. Kagome felt her heart speed up, as well as the anger and pain double with every step he took. Finally he stopped within a few feet, looking straight into the woman's, and by extension Kagome's, eyes.

"You know..." he began to say, a look of sincerity clear within his violet eyes "if it were up to me, we would still be together."

"If it were up to **YOU** I would be nothing more than a side lover!" the woman spat back at him.

"I never wanted you to be; you know my feelings."

"A load of bullshit if you ask me! I am no one's toy! And if it weren't for these assholes my hands would be taking your life away right now!"

He chuckled at her statement "I seriously doubt you capable; despite what you _**say**_ I _**know**_ that you still feel the same as before."

"Don't let your ego get **too** inflated! I say **only** what I mean!"

The man then stepped up to her, leaning over so that his lips were by her ear. His breath brushing by her which had her heart skip a beat. "As do I my dear Fayth. I look forward to working with you professionally...and _personally_" he whispered in her ear before pulling away to place a light peck on her lips. Kagome felt the surge of emotions come back but this time her love came up at the front of them _'She loves him, he hurt her. She should hate him...but she doesn't...she can't. I guess me and her...me and Fayth...are somewhat alike...'_ Kagome thought, saddened at how she sympathized through their shared pain.

The man pull away, with a smirk on his lips as he turned around and began to walk away.

"This isn't over! You'll regret **EVER** touching me! You hear that Itsuki Taisho?!" She screamed at the man walking away, still struggling under the grasp of Zarudin and the three other men.

* * *

"Kagome...Kagome!"

Kagome struggled for a bit, trying to turn away from the voice that continually called for her; but the sudden feeling of someone touching her was what finally startled her awake. She turned towards the source of her annoyance only to see two golden eyes staring back at her. Her heart sped up at the sight and she quickly looked away from him, unable to meet his gaze without feeling herself melt before him.

"Oi Kagome, what the hell is wrong with you? You been talking and moving around in your sleep all night!" The hanyou said with a bit of annoyance in his tone. He reached out to grab her but she jerked away from him. "What the hell is the matter?!"

"Please...don't touch me InuYasha." she replied softly, her voice so low that any normal human wouldn't have heard.

"Hey wench-"

"Don't call me that either..." she replied with a sigh at the end. Thankfully the kitsune had move away from her or else he would have awoken with all the movement and noise. Kagome rose to her feet, not allowing herself to look at InuYasha. "I'm going for a walk..."

"Wench! We ain't done talkin!"

Instead of replying, she simply ignored him and began to walk away towards the dense collection of tress in front of her. She wanted to distance herself from InuYasha as much as possible. Waking up so suddenly had left her still feeling everything that Fayth felt and that, coupled with her own feelings, had left her on the brink of breaking. She was too afraid of how she would end up reacting to InuYasha, mostly because of the anger she still felt from the other woman. Her walk sped up into a run as she frantically tried to keep her tears at bay. She needed to escape, needed distance in order to fully be able to express all of her conflicting feelings. No one should see her like this, especially not InuYasha. After her brief run she came upon a river where she fell to her knees along the bank, her hands covering her face while her heavy sobs and tears escaped from her.

InuYasha watched her while she slept, worried at her continued movements and whimpering. He wanted to ask her what was wrong but, as usual, tried to play it off as annoyance which only gave him disastrous results. He never heard her voice sound so cold and distant, never saw her walk away so defeated before. Worried, he silently followed her from above, jumping from tree to tree. He was taken by surprise at how fast she began to run and how desperate she appeared to be to distance herself from the group. When she stopped and fell to her knees to cry he felt an overwhelming sadness fill him. What he would give to be able to hug her, to comfort her and tell her everything was going to be alright; but he found himself unable to move from the branch. All he could do was watch her cry, smell the tears coming from her eyes, and feel the sadness from within him grow in intensity.

* * *

_'Again? But how?'_

Kagome was dreaming, again. As far as she knew it looked like Fayth was again in the same conference room, pacing back and forth various times. Zarudin and Negumi were sitting down, watching her movements for a moment before it began to grow tiring.

"You are going to wear the floor out.." Zarudin pointed out, earning a glare from Fayth in return.

"You both did this on purpose didn't you? It's all a sick joke right? A 'oh lets screw with Fayth today' type of thing...right?" Fayth said, now standing still and facing the two people in front of her.

"This had nothing to do with you or us. This isn't even from the internal agency. Apparently this is a special request from the external security agency...and you two were specifically requested." Negumi calmly explain to the still enraged woman in front of her. "Listen...they are interested in this CEO who is based in Japan...apparently he isn't as _clean_ as he appears. They believe that he has connections..._with them_..."

Fayth narrowed her eyes at that statement. Them...those people who will forever taint her past; her inescapable sins. "So why me? They know that _they_ know about me; sending me to this CEO is suicide."

"The CEO himself doesn't _personally_ know you; apparently one of their undercover agents put you name out there as an exceptional _on the side_ type of worker. He apparently is also in touch with Taisho's family and so he personally requested you both for a assignment." Negumi pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed "Listen, I know more than anyone how much you dislike Taisho. If it were up to me I wouldn't have you anywhere near him...but it's not. Please Fayth...for all of our sakes you have to be civil about this...if you mess up..." Negumi trailed off, turning her gaze over to Fayth.

Fayth sighed in defeat "I know...I'll be cut off right?"

Negumi simply nodded in response.

Zarudin stood up and walked over to Fayth, he placed a hand on her shoulder as a sign of support. "Fayth, regardless of what he did, remember why you are doing all of this. Your end goal should be on your mind the whole time."

Fayth looked down at the floor, she knew what he meant. Nevertheless the fact that she would have to _tolerate_ his presence...it was enough to enrage her. It seemed like God or whatever the hell was up there was against her. Every turn, every time she felt a light at the end, she would find herself suddenly cut off or having to find another way.

_'She seems to be so real...like someone's actual life. But...how? How can I be looking at another person's life? And why?' _Kagome wondered to herself. She wasn't sure how but it felt like she and Fayth were somehow connected; and not just emotionally. It seemed like Kagome could recognize Fayth's life as her own. Yet it couldn't be possible, Kagome knew who she was...how can she also feel like she is Fayth? She was brought back from her inner thoughts by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

Negumi cleared her throat in order to have her attention."Fayth...I have to bring him back for briefing. If you want..."

"No" she cut her off immediately and shook her head "If I'm forced to tolerate him I have to build up to it...bring him in."

Negumi nodded in agreement yet was hesitant to open the door for the man to walk in. Her hand was on the knob for several seconds before she gathered enough will to open the door. All three were met by the same man, standing at the doorway, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Fayth felt her rage boil from within but was somehow able to keep it down and feign a smile at him. She knew he was challenging her, she would **not** fall for his game. He walked in to join the other three in the room.

"So Fayth, finally you've accept our inevitable union?" he asked.

"I don't; I merely tolerate your presence Itsuki. Those are two different things." She replied back coldly.

He feigned a look of hurt at her words "I'm hurt, truly I am..." but quickly turned back to smiling "But I'm sure that by the time this is all over...you'll be doing _more_ than tolerate my presence..." he said, waggling his eyebrows at her, causing her to both shudder in disgust but also feel a wave of attraction and arousal run through her. She was so conflicted as was Kagome who felt the same feelings run through her.

Luckily, no one had taken notice of this and she was able to regain her composure. "Well no one is stopping you from dreaming" she replied before she sat down on her seat. Itsuki merely watched her and took the seat across from her, never taking his eyes off of her. She felt his gaze upon her and it had her heart racing. Yet she couldn't allow herself to lose control of her emotions, she couldn't make herself vulnerable.

Kagome, on the other hand, did feel everything that Fayth was trying to hide. And it was overwhelming her. _'Since she is holding back her emotions...all its doing is making it harder for me to even think!'_

Zarudin, likely sensing the tension, spoke first "The assignment is a special one for you both coming from the external security agency of Italy. They have been tackling many connections as of late concerning outside influences that are strengthening the various organizations that are based in Italy. One of the connections in particular, a very successful CEO from Japan, is one of their prime targets. A special agent was sent undercover to infiltrate and find his ties here but they have been continually blocked. This CEO has apparently been looking for two people to carry out a special task, a task that required discretion, and apparently the agent let both of your names slip by into his attention. As a result, he has asked the agent to get the both of you over to him...he wants to hire you both for something."

"So, he wants a wanted 'criminal' and an actual 'criminal' from Italy...if he has connections here wouldn't he know that Fayth isn't exactly...working for them?" Itsuki questioned.

"After that...scandal where her face was shown we thought it best to disguise her for this. And to our luck the agent didn't use Fayth's first name...she used her second name." Negumi said, turning over to Fayth whose expression was remarkably unreadable.

"Ah I see. So as it were, he is relying on the word of one person in that we both can do whatever he wants us to...so what do they have to gain from this?"

"Well first off...trust. This CEO tends to put many who work for him through many trials before trust is earned. Second, they hope whatever it is can be used against him...so better it be us to get it rather than actual criminals. Third, the agency wants to gauge the both of you in your abilities to work together in order to carry out the assignment."

"Well from my end there is no problem. But from Fayth's end.." he trailed off, pointing over at the woman sitting across from him.

"From her end...there will be no problem." Fayth replied. Everyone looked over at her in stunned silence, while she sat there, her face showing no emotion.

Negumi cleared her throat again to have everyone's attention "Well..if everything is settled then tomorrow you will both be heading to the airport. The rest of the report will be handed to you both tonight. There has been a room booked for you...two _separate_ rooms" She clarified; throwing an angry glare over to Itsuki who merely disregarded it. "There will be a private plan to take you two to Tokyo. Once there you will be meeting someone from the Japanese Criminal Investigation Bureau to take you to the hotel over there as well as further brief you on your assignment. I do not need to stress the importance of this, for more reasons than one.."

"Well then..." Itsuki began, standing back up "since we are done I will go." And with that he was the first to leave the room; Zarudin following closely behind.

Negumi stood up from her seat, turning around to take her leave but stopping halfway to look at Fayth who was still sitting down. "Fayth..."

"Yeah...?" Fayth said, looking towards her.

"I'm sorry..."

"What for?"

"I know what he did...but...I couldn't stop it. Regardless of how we sometimes treat each other...I do actually care for you. I would have never allowed this if I had a say...I need you to know that."

"Regardless of how we treat each other huh?" Fayth sighed deeply "Negumi...I see you as a comrade, a friend...even as a sister. But...you know why I can't-"

She was cut off at feeling Negumi's arms around her. She didn't know when Negumi walked up but for some reason she felt comforted by this simple hug. Without realizing it she hugged Negumi back and felt a tear slide down her cheek.

"I know...your life has been the hardest out of the three. If I could make it easier I would...If we could end all of this...Zarudin, you, and me will always be together. We have forged a bond stronger than any friendship; I see you both as family to me." She pulled away to look at Fayth and noticed the tear sliding down her cheek. Negumi swept her thumb over Fayth's cheek, pushing the tear away. "Fayth, you can't keep closed forever. You, we all, need someone to trust...we need to learn to trust and love someone; and feel that in return."

"I can't do that" Fayth said looking away from Negumi "You and Zarudin both know that as long as I have to keep fighting...I can't..._won't_ show such things. All they do is weaken your resolve, leave you vulnerable to your enemies. To show love to someone is to allow them to be able to stab you through the heart, to hurt you. I have learned this lesson once before, I can't let it happen again..."

Negumi cupped Fayth's cheeks, making Fayth look directly at her. "To show love is not weakness...To show your love for someone, a friend, family, a beloved..._strengthens_ one's resolve. It gives us a reason to continue fighting, allows us to tap into the full extent of our will, our strength, to pull through even the most overwhelming odds. You may not want to see it...but I have faith that you will one day understand what I am saying."

Kagome was in awe at the woman before her. Her words rang through Fayth and Kagome felt the comfort from her. It made Kagome feel better as well, knowing that there were people who cared for Fayth's well being and reminded her of those who cared for her wellbeing.

"Negumi...thanks..." Fayth said.

Negumi smiled and pulled away, standing straight in front of her. "Well then...ready to go?" she asked.

Fayth nodded in response and stood up, following behind Negumi towards the door were Zarudin was. One hand in his pocket while he casually leaned against the doorframe.

"Hey Fayth." he said.

"Yeah?"

He pondered for a moment before standing straight and walking towards her. He pulled her To him in a comforting embrace. "You are not alone. We all stand together..." he mumbled before pulling away from her, a smile on his own face.

Kagome could feel the tears pricking at Fayth's eyes yet she didn't allow herself to cry. She simply nodded at his gesture.

"Let's go." he said, turning around and walking out of the door, Negumi following behind.

_'I guess I'm really not alone...'_

Kagome heard the words echo through her mind. She felt such sorrow and comfort at the same time; she wanted to wake up so badly yet she couldn't. Her vision, or rather, her vision of what Fayth was seeing was blurring. She was slipping away, further away from Fayth and that world, feeling herself falling into darkness. Kagome kept hearing Negumi, Zarudin and Fayth's words echoing in her head and Fayth's feelings still pounding within her body.

_"The Shikon no Tama...only you and she can make it pure..."_

_"What? Who is that?" _She questioned.

_"Shikon no Tama...one soul...two bodies..."_

And as soon as she heard that, completely silence surrounded her.

* * *

Whelp this was 15 pages! WOOOOOO! This'll take ya'll a while to read through while I lazily work my way through chapter 3~

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	3. Turmoil

A/N: Sadly I do not have a beta reader to proof read any of the things I am writing...so it's really only me proofreading myself which, in retrospect, is _probably_ not the smartest idea. So I do apologize in advance for any spelling or more than likely grammatical mishaps.

**Warning: **There is a lime goodness up ahead! So those who are uncomfortable with the citrus content shall be forewarned now!

**Disclaimer! **(Because I totally forgot): Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Fayth (full name to be disclosed in later chapter), Itsuki Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine then believe me that I would have given the InuKag fans that passionate kiss at the end of the anime/manga that we always dreamed of. InuKag forevah! *shot*

* * *

**Chapter 3: Turmoil**

* * *

Fayth stood still, her hand placed over her heart. She felt like she had lost a small part of herself all of the sudden. Negumi and Zarudin turned around and looked at her, concern clear in their eyes.

"Fayth?" Negumi said, reaching her hand out and placing it on Fayth's shoulder.

"Huh?" Fayth asked, looking up at Negumi, then at Zarudin.

"You alright?" Zarudin asked.

"Yeah...sure. Sorry, it's nothing." She replied

Shrugging, Zarudin turned back around to walk out of the building. Negumi was about to turn around herself until Fayth reached out and grabbed her arm.

"Negumi...you know about Japanese history right?" Fayth asked.

Negumi looked at Fayth with confusion. "Well I **am** Japanese you know. And you are too..."

"_Half_ Japanese" Fayth corrected.

Negumi shook her head in disappointment. "Whatever. Why?"

"Does InuYasha...or Kagome...or Shikon no tama ring any bells?"

Negumi looked at her for a while, trying to assess the seriousness of her question before sighing. "Honestly...have you not learned _anything_ about your own culture?"

"Just answer the damn question." she snapped back.

"Well the first two I can't say I know...but the Shikon no tama? Yeah it's a popular folklore in Japan. But, I haven't heard the story in a while..."

"What do you know about it?"

"Well...from what I remember...the Shikon no tama, also known as the jewel of four souls was a very powerful jewel that could increase one's power to unimaginable levels. It is called this because it supposedly houses four spirits which follow the Shinto philosophy of Naohi. The four spirits are Aramitama, _Courage_, Nigimitama, _Friendship_, Kushimitama, _Wisdom_ and Sakimitama, _Love_. When one holds all four at their maximum it's supposed to form a really strong and powerful balance within the soul that can be used for either good or evil."

"So much for not knowing a lot about it" Fayth said, earning a glare from Negumi in response.

"Hush. Well...umm I remember that it's supposed to be some small purple sphere...Now that I think about it; it should look like the one you have."

Fayth instinctively placed her right hand over the spherical object that dangled from the various silver chains which connected to the thick black choker around her neck. She didn't remember how long she had it. It was for as long as she remembered; she supposed. If anything she believed that it was one of the things her parents gave her, although she couldn't remember such a memory.

Negumi continued her story. "Because of its ability it was sought after by various demons, as well as corrupt humans, in order to increase their own powers. The jewel would be influenced according to the type of soul that held it. It was even said that the jewel could even grant ones wish...although as far as I remember the wishes would supposedly become distorted and turn out evil themselves. Because of that it was entrusted to various priests and mikos so that they can purify and protect it..." she trailed off, suddenly her expression changing, becoming deep in thought.

Fayth stared at her for a bit waiting for her to continue. "Well...?"

"Well...they all seemed to perish while protecting the jewel...and well the story after that is a bit hazy up until the end."

"The end?"

Negumi looked straight at Fayth. "The end was that two people, united by one soul would come together in realization of what they had to do. They, together with those who are most precious to them, gather the inner strength needed and make a wish. The wish, free of any personal greed or negativity; fueled _**only**_ by the desire to save everything is the wish that will ultimately purify and banish the jewel forever."

Fayth was taken aback by all the information Negumi gave her. "Two people that hold one soul, alongside the ones most precious to them...huh..."

* * *

InuYasha was growing restless. When he saw Kagome collapse to the ground he immediately felt the instinctive need to be beside her, to try and wake her up. Yet he was held back in fear of her reaction; they hadn't exactly been on good terms at the moment and he didn't want to upset her any further. But seeing her on the group had his inner demon growling with the need to be with her, to protect her. She was his dammit. He _needed _to be there; but he couldn't be the cause of any further anger from her. When he saw her finally move around and slowly sit up it he felt the biggest relief wash over him.

She wasn't sure how long she had been crying, how long she had been there by the river, emptying herself of her overflowing emotions. It felt like hours though in reality it may have been minutes. She wasn't even sure how long she had been unconscious; although she supposed that it must have been the fatigue that finally won her tired body over. But she couldn't shake those final moments from her mind; that voice that said that she and Fayth could make the Shikon jewel pure. _'That doesn't make sense...how can she and I purify it? She's not even real...is she?'_ she thought in silence. Although she was still confused from her latest dream she was at least content in that she managed to purge herself of the overwhelming emotions from before. Sighing in relief she leaned over to the river, her hands cupped together to scoop up some of the crystal clear water to splash over her face.

Feeling the cool water hit her face had her feeling so content. Sitting back up she looked around her surroundings. InuYasha had not followed her; that knowledge only had her feel sadness fill her again.

_"I wanted...to protect her forever..."_

Why? Why was it that, with that one line, it was enough to have her sobbing on the ground again. Why did she feel so terrible? She knew that InuYasha loved Kikyou, she _knew_ that he only saw her as a shard detector. Despite the small moments they shared, the moments that had her heart jumping for joy, it would never be enough. He would never stop loving Kikyou; after all, she was his first love. As he was hers. She hugged her legs close to her and rested her chin on top of her knees. How could she ever compete with a memory? No. She couldn't bear the pain that she felt knowing that, when this is all over, InuYasha would probably turn away from her. It hurt, it hurt so much feeling that he was only beside her because he was obligated to protect her. As much as it pained her to admit it, there was no love from him. It would always be one sided, she would always love him, but from him...there was nothing...a friendship maybe...but nothing more.

InuYasha watched her from above, observing her inner turmoil. He watched her hands shake while she struggled with her inner conflict. His inner demon snarled in reaction; demanding that he be there, that he comfort her. But he refused, he didn't know the cause for her thoughts; but he was sure that he had something to do with it. Despite his need to jump down there, to grasp her and hold her tightly against him, to kiss those soft plump lips and whisper sweet nothings into her ear; despite all of this, he fought against it.

Finally, after sitting in silence for a while, Kagome gathered the necessary strength to stand up. She sighed dejectedly before beginning her walk back to the camp. Unbeknownst to her, a hanyou silently following her trail from the trees above. Here she was, walking back to the cause of her turmoil. Back to the person that managed to lift her heart to the sky and have it crash right back down. The person that caused her so much pain, yet felt so much love for.

Back to InuYasha.

* * *

Shit. Fuck. And damn.

_'Whoever it is that is conspiring against me __**will**__ pay __**dearly**__ for this'_ Fayth thought while stomping her way into the hotel room. Oh yeah, it was two rooms alright; connected by **one** bathroom. She dropped her luggage right next to the massive king sized bed; not even bothering to unpack anything. The only thoughts running through her mind were ones where she would be ripping the head of whoever the genius was that made the reservations. Oh yes, they will suffer for this one.

The hotel room itself was nice enough, it looked like that agency held nothing back on this one. If she could guess this could easily pass for a suite, with its small living room area and tiny kitchen corner. It would have been perfect; if it wasn't for that **one** minor annoyance. She could hole herself up in her bedroom at least and not come out until the next morning. Food? Not necessary, it's not as if she were starving at the moment. TV? There was one in her room so there was no reason to be in the living room area. But the bathroom? Well damn, her body demanded she take a shower.

So she slithered her way around the whole suite, checking the rooms thoroughly for any sign of Mr. Egotistical-bastard. Although she did find his luggage and clothes thrown haphazardly around his room he himself was nowhere. Content that there was no sign of him she decided that she would submit to her body's demand and take a nice hot shower, or maybe even a bath, before he came back.

She ran over to her room, opening her luggage and quickly pulling out a pair of pajamas and underwear, as well as a towel before locking herself into the bathroom. She set the things aside while she turned the faucet, allowing the warm water to rain down onto the tub. Stripping herself of her clothes and leaving them all in a pile on the floor she stepped into the tub; allowing the warm water to trickle over her bare body. She sighed in content, feeling her muscles become less tense at the feeling of the warmth of the water fall onto her.

Without knowing it, the cause of her disdain had entered into the hotel suite. Itsuki looked around a bit looking for any sign that she was in the room. Instantly his ears picked up a faint sound of running water and he smirked. _'Oh so she's showering is she? Hmm...maybe tonight __**will**__ be interesting after all...'_ He made his way to his room first; and quickly stripped himself of his clothes, leaving only his boxers on. It wasn't that he wasn't willing to take them off, but he wasn't stupid either. If he dared go in bare the situation could go two ways, one being the way he would like, with them both in bed having passionate sex...or the tub itself...who's to say really? And the other being Fayth possibly trying to hack a certain part of him to pieces, a part that practically defines his manliness...to put it simply he's a man and as such would like to keep his dick still attached.

Still hearing the shower running he cautiously made his way into the bathroom; careful not to alarm Fayth to his presence. Thankfully she forgot to lock the door that led to his room, a mistake that will cost her dearly. He watched her silhouette moving from behind the curtain; becoming completely mesmerized by her movements, by her curves. Her long hair that reached her waist, her long slender legs, her flat stomach. Everything about her was alluring and to him she was the most beautiful woman to walk the Earth.

Damn, he was definitely hoping that things would end in sex tonight.

No, scratch that.

He was **praying** that they would have sex tonight.

Silently he made his way to the bathtub, ever thankful that it was more than big enough to accommodate the two of them.

Fayth was so into her thoughts that, without realizing it, someone got into the bathtub directly behind her. Her eyes were closed while she rinsed the remaining shampoo from her hair and her ears were distracted with the sound of the water. It wasn't until she felt a pair of strong arms snake around her waist that she realized that someone was there. Her eyes shot open as the arms spun her around and pulled her hard against the body of the man who snuck in behind her.

Shit. Fuck. And damn.

Her chocolate eyes quickly looked up to see two violet eyes staring down at her. Her breath hitched and her heart skipped a beat at realizing who it was. The violet eyes, the long black hair that reached down his back, the strong jaw line, the well defined muscles...oh God the muscles!

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked, giving her best to sound irritated and angry but her flushed face completely undermined her attempt.

He smirked down at her while he pressed her up onto the shower wall, keeping her sandwiched between the wall and his rock hard body. He leaned down to her, their lips practically an inch apart. "Whatever you want me to baby" he replied huskily.

The feeling of his breath on her lips was her undoing. As it wasn't bad enough to _feel_ his body pressed onto hers, now his lips were teasingly an inch away from hers.

Damn it all.

Someone was _**really**_ going to suffer for this one.

"I...thought I was...clear about...how much I...hate you..." She replied between breathes. She wanted to close her eyes so badly but her damn mind didn't want to obey her all of the sudden. Her eyes were instead fixed on his and that, along with feeling his body against hers, was quickly becoming too big of a challenge for her to resist.

He swept his tongue over her lips, sending a jolt of electricity racing down her body. "And I thought I made it clear...about how much...I want you..." he replied between his own breaths, working his tongue from licking her lips to licking along her jaw line. He began to nip and suck down her neck, making sure the marks left behind wouldn't go away for days. Oh yes, she would need makeup to cover all of what he was doing...and what he was going to do.

She let out a slight moan at his actions, the way his lips worked its way down her neck. Her lust was quickly overriding her logic and, although her body would hate her later, she had to pull away.

He felt her hands push against him, trying to pry herself away from him and he couldn't help but smirk against her skin. Using one of his strong hands, he grabbed both of Fayth's wrists and held them above her head. He pulled away from her neck and whispered huskily into her ear "Now...now Fayth. We both know that you really don't want to stop..." before licking along the shell of her ear. That moan she let out was enough to get the blood rushing down to his loins, his length beginning to harden at the simple sight of her. Oh she was so goddamn sexy and he'd be **damned** if nothing happened tonight.

If it was hard to pull away before, now it was impossible. Besides the fact he had her **pinned** and at his mercy; at this point all coherent thoughts were gone from her mind and the only thing she could think about is how badly she wanted this.

Damn it all.

Someone was going to **die** after this.

He grinded his hips onto hers, his obvious erection rubbing onto her core; separated only by the fabric of his boxers. His pressed his lips onto hers "Do you feel what you do to me?" he breathed out between their lips. Her heart sped up at feeling him grind against her. She felt a lump form in her throat and her breath hitched in response. That one act sent a spiral of pleasure shooting down her body, and she could feel her core become wet and throb in anticipation. He grinded himself again, causing a shudder to run down her spine. She was so entranced that she couldn't suppress the needy whimper that escape her lips.

Somehow, it got really hot all of the sudden.

Hearing her whimper caused him to feel a possessive pride. Oh yes, she wanted this, she wanted _him_. He would be **damned** if he denied her, and himself, what they both wanted. This time his sucked on her bottom lip. She gasped at the feeling and he took advantage of the moment to slip his tongue into her mouth. He explore her moist cavern, remembering every bit of her while she willingly let him. Letting go of her wrists in favor of sliding his hands down the curve of her body he stopped at her thighs and gripped them tightly before lifting her up. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, their lips never parting during the process.

Eventually they parted in order to breathe. Fayth was practically panting which was causing her breasts to press harder onto his muscular chest. He groaned in response at feeling her hardened peaks pressed onto him.

"How about we move this somewhere...drier?" he asked.

She froze in response; what could she do? Her heart screamed to go for it, her mind screamed that she run. But it just felt so _good_ and _right_ for her that, at this point, she herself would be pushing him onto a bed. Despite what she knew would happen after...she _wanted_ to be with him.

She simply nodded in response. That caused his own heart to begin racing at the thoughts crossing his mind. The things he could do to her, that she could do to _him_. It was so overwhelming that he felt that everything would end before it even started. Keeping his firm hold on her thighs he began to carry her towards his room.

Her heart was pounding, her arousal couldn't be any more obvious. She felt him moving, although she could not see. Fayth was too busy planting a trail of kisses on his cheeks, his lips, down his jaw line, and his neck. Although she knew that tomorrow she would hate herself and, in turn, hate him for what was going to happen tonight. Although she _knew_ the heartache awaiting her tomorrow; she wanted to _live_. She wanted to at least pretend...that for one night...he actually loved her. And so, for tonight, she would give all of herself to the man that managed to stir up so many unknown feelings within her. She would go back to the man who managed to always bypass the barrier around her heart; and break her heart into a million pieces.

Back to Itsuki.

* * *

After a long while Kagome arrived at the camp where the others were. Looking up towards the trees she could tell there was no InuYasha in sight. _'He must have needed time alone...'_ she thought, her mood only becoming worse. It wasn't that she hated him, she never could. But she couldn't help but think of the time that InuYasha thought he lost her and her friends to poison. At that time the tears were clearly threatening to fall yet they didn't. But for Kikyou...for _**her**_,he openly cried. He shed tears without caring who was watching. Was it that she really wasn't anything more that a shard detector to him? Was it that he would always love Kikyou, tossing her aside in the process? Was it that...she could really have no hope to ever feel any love in return? Her heart ached at the questions that ran through her mind.

She sat herself at the base of one of the many trees surrounding the camp; her back leaning against the trunk. She hugged her legs tighter to her chest, deep in thought. She tried to process everything logically. If InuYasha had no feelings then why would he be so overly protective of her in front of Kouga? Why would he be jealous? Why would he even care?

Maybe it was because she looked like Kikyou...

Every time she tried to see something positive, every time she tried to giver herself a reason to stay happy...it would always come back to Kikyou.

"I'm just a shard detector..." she whispered to herself.

That confirmation to herself was enough to get the tears to escape from her eyes. Gods, she felt that she was at a breaking point. She felt that if she continued to stay all she would become is a replacement for Kikyou. If InuYasha were to fall in love with her...it would only be because he sees her as Kikyou and not as Kagome. The only thing that kept her here was the mission she still had to accomplish...

She felt so much **turmoil** inside.

Then, suddenly, one question made itself clear among the jumbled mass. What would she do after Naraku was gone and the jewel completed?

_'Stop!'_ a voice rang out in her head. Kagome gasped at hearing it, her eyes widening in surprise at recognizing who the voice belonged to. The last thing she could see was her body falling to the ground and InuYasha jumping down to her, yelling out her name, as a blinding light surrounded her vision.

* * *

Before she knew it Itsuki had practically thrown her onto his bed. He hastily swept aside any of the clothes and other items that were cluttering the space around them and climbed on top of her. She looked up at him while he dove down, kissing her lips harshly, full of need. She closed her eyes tightly to hold back the tears.

She shouldn't do this.

She was allowing herself to be used again, allowing him to take out his physical needs on her. There was no love...it would only be one sided. She should hate him for what he was doing. She should hate herself for being so stupid and weak. She felt his scalding trail of kisses move down to her left breast where he moved his tongue in circles around her peak; while fondling the other one with his hand. She was shuddering with excitement, yet inside she cried from the heart breaking pain.

"I'm just an easy night..." she whispered to herself.

The confirmation to herself had her silently crying, holding back the whimpers from her sadness. She couldn't even feel what he was doing to her anymore, all of it was numbed by the immense feeling of emotional pain. She was sure he hadn't even noticed it...no, he was too busy getting what he wanted from her.

She felt so much **turmoil** inside.

Then, suddenly, one question made itself clear within her mind. What would she do after her end goal was complete and therefore no reason for her to stay?

_'Stop!'_ a voice rang out in her head. Fayth gasped at hearing it, her eyes widening in surprise at the unknown, yet strangely familiar, voice ringing in her head. The last thing she could see was Itsuki looking up at her, calling out her name, as a blinding light surrounded her vision.

* * *

CLIFFIE! CLIFFIE'S EVERYWHERE!

*shot again*

I am not satisfied with this lime...although to be completely honest I haven't written a lime/lemon in YEARS. To put it bluntly...the last time I wrote anything citrus was when I was 19 and I'm 22 now... I'm old

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	4. Revelation

A/N: So I shall take le time to quickly answer some questions from you reviewers!~

_Secret lover_: Yes, because as with Kikyou and Kagome you can tell that they are pretty much opposites. So I have noticed that with certain fanfics they tend to make InuYasha more of a playboy type and Kagome more assertive...which are a perfect fit for my OC's as in their main canon story they have these traits already. So with this fic I am trying to keep InuYasha and Kagome as close to their actual character as I can (though it will change a bit waaaaaay later on) while Fayth and Itsuki will embody all the things that InuYasha and Kagome don't.

_Luna Divine:_ I haven't forgotten this, I know that InuYasha is still conflicted and does mourn Kikyou's death. I did want to clarify that he does in fact love Kagome but is mourns Kikyou out of regret. Later on he will though question his feelings about Kikyou (with the help of Fayth) because I would like for him to move past the grief and have a stronger connection with Kagome towards the end. But rest assured, angst will be present~

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Fayth (full name to be disclosed in later chapter), Itsuki Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine...God if he were mine... *blushes madly*

* * *

**Chapter 4: Revelation**

* * *

"Hello?!" Kagome called out. She was completely surrounded in the brightness, no end to it anywhere. Even below her she couldn't see a physical floor underneath her feet. Panicked, she frantically began to call out for someone, _anyone_ to answer back.

"Goddammit! Stop with the screaming!" Fayth yelled in response at the irritating voice echoing around her. There was no one around her, at least, as far as she could see. Then again, all she did see was white. Bright white everywhere. What the hell just happened?

Kagome scrunched her face in annoyance when she heard the response. Obviously the person was not going to be friendly but she really couldn't be choosey at the moment. After all, she was stuck _Kami knows where_ with no way out. "Hey! Can you hear me? Where are we?!"

Fayth cringed at the echo ringing in her ears "Dammit if I knew where I was I wouldn't **be **here!"

"Hmph! Well you don't have to be all **rude** about it!"

_"Stop!"_

Both women instantly froze at hearing the voice. Suddenly the brightness seemed to dim a bit, enough that they could see each other's silhouette...as well as a third persons.

"Who the hell are you two?!" Fayth yelled out towards the two people in front of her.

_"It matters not who I am. Simply know that I am here to help..."_

"Kikyou...is that you?" Kagome asked the silhouette to her right.

"K-Kikyou?!" Fayth stammered out in complete surprise.

_"Yes, I am Kikyou...and you should both know of me; for I am part of you both."_

"Part of us..._both_?" Kagome asked in obvious confusion.

_"Yes, for I am your past life and therefore a part of you both."_

"I don't know what the **hell** you are talking about! I don't believe in that junk!" Fayth angrily yelled out.

_"You may be able to deny part of your heritage...yet it will always be there. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you are a reincarnated soul."_

"B-but how can that be? I thought that you can only reincarnate into one body? How can there be **two** people with the same soul?" Kagome asked.

_"Both of you listen well. Do not doubt the feelings of the one whom you love; for if you allow doubt to creep into your hearts...if you turn the pure love into anger and hate...you will both be corrupted."_

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about! There is no one I love!" Fayth angrily replied, her eyebrows furrowed in anger.

"The one who I love..." Kagome solemnly replied. "But Kikyou...InuYasha doesn't..."

Kikyou cut her off before she could finish. _"You will both soon understand... do not allow doubts to reach your hearts...for you two will be the ones to purify the Shikon no tama"_

"The Shikon no tama? B-but how?" Kagome asked

At hearing the name of the hanyou everything seemed to click in Fayth's mind. "Inu...Yasha...? Wait...**YOU'RE **Kagome?!" she angrily asked the silhouette to her right.

Kagome was taken by surprise at the question. "Yes, but who are you?"

"You're the one that's been plaguing my dreams at night!" Fayth yelled out, completely ignoring her question.

"W-WHAT?!"

_"I fear that time is against us. Kagome, you and Fayth wi-...no...Kagome...you and Kiyoye will soon realize your destinies. You are both bound together and so you both will finally end the tragedy that follows the Shikon no tama." _

Fayth instantly froze in hearing the name. How the hell did Kikyou know? How dare she use that name? No one had that right; no one had ever used that name. When the hell did Kikyou think it was in her right to say it?

"Fayth?!" Kagome called out in a mix of shock and confusion. "**YOU'RE **Fayth?!"

"Keh! So what of it?!" Fayth shot back at Kagome.

Before Kagome could think of a good retort Kikyou cut in.

_"Time runs short...remember to not let yourselves be clouded by your fears...if you do then the cycle will only continue..."_

Those were the last words that echoed out before they were both enveloped in the pure light.

* * *

"Kagome! Dammit it wench...Kagome wake up!"

Kagome instantly sat up, her eyes wide in shock at what she experienced. _'Was it even real? Was it a dream?'_ She looked over at the source of the voice and saw InuYasha kneeling next to her, concern clear in his features. Whether driven by fear or simply by the need to just hold him; Kagome threw herself onto InuYasha, her arms wrapped around him and her face buried in his haori.

"I-InuYasha! I was...I was so scared!" she cried out, the tears freely running down from her eyes.

InuYasha became tense when he felt her wrap her arms around him but was concerned at her words and her tears. He wasn't sure exactly how to react to her actions and decided it was best to let her hold onto him.

"Kagome what happened to you?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head vigorously from within the fabric, not willing to pull away from him just yet. "Please...we need to get to Kaede's..."

* * *

"Fayth! Damn it all...Fayth!...Kiyoye! Wake up!"

Fayth instantly sat up, completely tensed from what she had just experienced. _'What the hell was that?! Was I dreaming...? Was it even real...?'_ She glanced over at the voice that kept calling for her only to see Itsuki kneeling beside the bed; fully dressed. She looked down and saw that she was wrapped in a towel with the bed covers further covering her. Looking back at Itsuki she saw concern clear in his eyes. _'He was...concerned about me...? Enough to stop?'_

"Fayth, what the hell was that?!" he asked a bit louder then he intended.

She looked back down, tugging the covers closer to her, unsure of what to say.

"I...I don't know..."

"You need to go to a doctor!"

Fayth shook her head vigorously in response. "No...we need to get to the airport..."

* * *

When the others awoke InuYasha stated that they would return to Kaede's village. He offered no explanation for his sudden change of plans and Kagome was relieved at that. She didn't feel like explaining what she had been experiencing for various nights now; if anything they would think she was crazy. The journey itself would take approximately 3 days according to Sango, which she was thankful for. It would give her time to properly sort out everything that has been happening to her lately; hopefully Kaede would know what was happening to her.

"Oi! Kagome! Come on we gotta move!" InuYasha called out.

Kagome looked over to him and saw he was already crouched down and waiting for her. Although Kikyou...well Kikyou's _spirit_ had warned her not to let herself fall into doubt she was still hesitant. To be so close to him, even if only as a way for him to carry her around, it made her heart speed up in happiness. To think that such a simple action would provoke so much from her. To think he could bring out these feelings from her. To think she could be so happy just being _near_ him.

She must be crazy.

"Oi Kagome!" he called out again

Kagome shook the thoughts from her head and walked up to the hanyou. Sango, Miroku and Shippou were already riding on Kirara's back and had a good head start. She reluctantly gripped onto his shoulders while he held onto the outside of her thighs, making sure he had a good hold on her before he jumped up onto a tree to begin their journey back.

Three days.

* * *

Thirteen hours.

Thirteen **damn** hours on that godforsaken plane.

Sitting right next to Itsuki.

Her life was really against her. What the hell did she do to deserve this? She _should_ count herself lucky that he hadn't really kept nagging at her to go see a doctor. What would a doctor even say? Maybe that she was some kind of schizoid...she wouldn't know; usually Zarudin was good with the psychological analysis crap. Actually she really could have used Zarudin and Negumi right now. At least they would take away some of the tension that sat between her and Itsuki.

It was _way_ too tense for her taste.

At least she was thankful that he hadn't really tried to ask for any explanation for what happened last night. She wouldn't know how to answer that question. Because saying that she dreamt with her supposed past life for several nights doesn't really sound plausible...or sane. He hadn't even tried any of his usual obvious flirtations, or his sarcastic, arrogant, egoistical, asshole remarks.

She could really do without them.

Most of the plane ride she pretended to sleep away, her head turned towards the tiny oval window in order to avoid his gaze. She didn't want to really talk to him since it still felt too awkward to even be near him after last night. Although she should be rejoicing that they hadn't done anything last night she couldn't help but feel a tiny twinge of regret in her heart. Although her supposed past life...well Kikyou's spirit had warned her not to let herself fall into doubt she was still not convinced. Even feeling his breath upon her skin was enough to provoke so many feelings of want and need within her. Something so simple, even a slight brush against his skin, had her heart skip a beat and her breath hitch in response. To think that it was enough just to be _near_ him, even though she should be hating him with all her being.

Maybe she was crazy.

Although at this point to continue her train of thought would be moot. She was already in Japan, thankfully in her own **separate** hotel room. Tomorrow would be a new day, she already knew what to do and tomorrow she would meet this infamous CEO that has the agency all crazed up in Italy. Hopefully if all went well the day after she would be carrying out her assignment. A total of three days in Japan she would hope, she wasn't exactly ecstatic to be here. It reminded her too much of a part of her past self, a part of her heritage that she buried inside her mind. The faster that she could leave from this country the better.

Three days.

* * *

So this is how it goes; here Fayth's name is changed a bit in the order. **In my main fic of her whole story her name is Fayth Kiyoye** (last name withheld for a later chapter here :3 ). **But for the purpose of this fanfic**, and to keep things a bit less confusing, **her name here is Kiyoye Fayth** (last name again withheld). So really it's just switched, and just for general knowledge Italians can have middle names although usually children only have one name.

**Also I am using the Kanji symbol for her name. Kiyoye (pronounced as KEE-yo-yeh) basically translates to purity and grace.** It's so awesome because, first of all, it sounds like a bit of a mix between Kikyou and Kagome; and it contains letters from both their names. And it adds a bit to Fayth's own conflict on who she is and the contradiction between her name Kiyoye Fayth (the name being an old a variant of Faith which itself means loyalty/belief) and her character.

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	5. Why is it you

A/N: This chapter will be somewhat short and exclusively focused on Fayth and Itsuki's relationship. I mean what can I say from Kagome and InuYasha's side? Kagome can't be all depressed either and InuYasha all conflictive either; I did add a small private moment between the two...a bit of a romantic like incident? It'll certainly keep the romance and angst up between them. But let's for now mostly assume that they are just traveling.

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Kiyoye Fayth (last name to be disclosed in later chapter), Itsuki Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine...he would be my sex slave. Oh God...the things that would be _done_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Why is it you...**

* * *

It was nighttime again, meaning that now there were two days left to go. Everyone else seemed content to be resting, so much so that there wasn't any usual nighttime chatter that Kagome was accustomed to. Everyone around her was asleep by this point except for herself who was still too worked up over her last episode. She hadn't even bothered setting up her sleeping bag, preferring to sleep on the ground tonight.

No matter how many times she attempted to analyze what she had been through while she was asleep it didn't seem to make any sense. She didn't even know who this Fayth...or Kiyoye person was. Supposedly they both held the same soul. Did that mean that Fayth was from another time period? She couldn't exactly be too sure on that theory; as far as she knew from the other people she _was_ able to see, it seemed like they were from around her time. How was it that, according to Kikyou, they were going to purify the jewel? As far as she knew only InuYasha and herself were able to use the well.

InuYasha.

She mentally sighed. In the position she was in, facing a tree trunk, she couldn't get a good view on him; though maybe it was better that way. She didn't want him to goad her about what happened to her, they would only end up fighting. That was the last thing she would want at the moment. Taking a deep breath she decided that if she couldn't fall asleep then she would at least pretend to, that way if anyone wakes up in the middle of the night they wouldn't notice. So she closed her eyes, closing off her view of her surroundings for the next few hours.

* * *

Fayth groaned in annoyance. She had been lying on her bed for what had to be at least half an hour. Yet her mind wouldn't allow her to welcome blissful sleep. She was still too worked up over her last experience. She tried to process everything logically, from what Negumi told her this so called 'Shikon no tama' was purified long ago. It wouldn't make sense for this supposed Kikyou person to say that she and Kagome would be the ones to purify it. None of it made any sense...reincarnation? She didn't follow Shintoism...hell, she didn't even follow Catholicism. She rejected practically all of her culture, her heritage. As far as she was concerned, she was just a woman on a mission. After that there was nothing else to think about.

Yet she couldn't ignore these dreams she has experienced. From what she could tell the clothing worn by the people Kagome was with resembled feudal Japan. But, demons? _'Demons don't exist'_ she thought, trying to convince herself of the statement.

Sighing, she turned over to reach the nightstand at her left. She opened the drawer and pulled out a wooden bracelet, bringing it up to her face to look at it. It was a rather simple bracelet. Itsuki gave it to her back when she turned 15. She recalled he said something about it being made of bark from a special tree from Japan. Twirling it around her fingers, she remembered that every time she had it on, for some unknown reason, she would feel a lot more at peace and her mind would always be cleared from any conflicting thoughts.

The bracelet was composed of several segments of wood that were either shaped like sphere beads or fangs; then again maybe they were claws. The sphere beads itself were colored a darker brown, almost black. The fangs were colored a white color. The pattern followed a two beads, one fang sequence all the way around. She wasn't sure what held them together but whatever the material was, it didn't stretch much.

Now that she _really_ thought about it, the bracelet looked exactly like the necklace that Itsuki always had on...

Itsuki.

She tossed the bracelet back into the drawer and closed it. He was in another room two floors up, ensuring that there was no way he would 'accidently' find his way to her hotel room. In the end it was better that way, she didn't need him constantly bugging her for an explanation for the night before. Taking a deep breath she decided that trying to get sleep would be a lost cause at this point. So she instead turned to her right side, her right hand under her pillow, right on top of the gun that she always kept hidden so that she would never be caught by surprise. She closed her eyes, closing herself off from her surroundings for the long hours ahead.

* * *

InuYasha watched the group turn in for the night; though he was mainly focused on Kagome. The way she had been acting lately was unsettling for him and the recent two incidents were she lost consciousness honestly frightened him. It could be due to fatigue but he had a nagging feeling that there was something _more_ to it. His ears twitched, trying to pick up whether she was sleeping or not. Hearing her soft, even breaths and steady heartbeat he could assume that she was. From his perch on one of the tree branches he couldn't see her face; she was facing a tree in front of her.

He jumped down from the branch, landing a couple of feet away from Kagome. His ears continually twitched to pick up any indication that she was awake as he got closer. He sat down right beside her, marveling at the woman before him. It wasn't just her body. No. There was also her personality, that innocence within her that accepted everyone and gave them all a chance. That fire within her that would come alive every time she was set on something with fierce determination. Subconsciously, he passed his claws through her silky midnight tresses a couple of times; holding several strands up and watching them slip by his fingers and fall back down.

"Kagome..."

Kagome froze, trying to keep her heart from accelerating and her breathing as even as possible. When she heard a slight thud she assumed it was InuYasha who probably wanted to sleep on the ground for the night. She would have never guessed when she heard footsteps that he was coming towards her. Even worse, he sat _beside_ her, passing his fingers through her hair various times. She couldn't let him know that she was awake, she didn't want to ruin this moment. Even if he thought that she was sleeping, he was being _affectionate_ with her...and to her it was more than she could ever hope for.

InuYasha looked around to the others nearby, thankful that they seemed to be deep in their sleep. He held onto Kagome, pulling her towards him. He moved a bit so he could rest against the tree trunk. He sat her on his lap, allowing to rest her head on his chest. He continually passed his claws through her hair while he took in her scent. To him there was no other like it. She smelled sweet like cherry blossoms and the sticky yellow sweet stuff she would bring back from her time that Shippou loved to eat; the name completely lost to him now. Even if she were far away, he could always catch the intoxicating smell. Looking down at her, he couldn't help but smile. She looked so tiny and delicate, no one would ever guess that underneath she had a bright fire burning in her heart. He stopped going through her hair and instead pulled her closer to him, his strong arms wrapped around her small figure.

"Dammit Kagome...Why do you always do this to me? Why do you make me want to-" he paused, stopping himself from continuing his inner thoughts. He didn't want to say it in a hushed whisper, not while she slept. No. He had to wait until all of their problems were solved. When Naraku dies, when they complete the jewel; that's when he can tell her his innermost feelings.

"...I swear that I won't let anyone hurt you..." he said softly. He brought a finger under her chin, tilting her head up slightly as he lowered his lips down to her.

Kagome could barely contain her heart as she felt him pull her body to his. Being this close she could easily inhale his scent of rain water and foresty, naturey smell that she swore she could lose herself in. She felt his claws continually gliding through her hair and for that moment there seemed to be nothing else around them; only her and InuYasha. Then she heard him speak "_Dammit Kagome...Why do you always do this to me? Why do you make me want to-_"; she waited in anticipation over what he would say but he never finished. _'Want to what? InuYasha...'_ the thought continually circling through her mind. Disappointment filled her at the realization that he wouldn't finish his sentence. "_...I swear that I won't let anyone hurt you..._" Kagome was at the brink of tears _'Oh InuYasha...if only you knew that the only one capable to hurt me so much...is you'_

She was ready to pretend to wake up, she didn't want to hear anymore; it would only serve to break her heart more than it already was. As she was gathering the courage to open her eyes she felt him place a clawed finger under her chin, tilting her head up slightly. Her heart completely stilled at the feeling of something soft and warm pressed on her forehead. She gasped inwardly _'Is he...is he kissing my forehead?!'_ She couldn't help her rapidly beating heart, the tint of pink that appeared on her cheeks, nor the small smile that formed on her lips.

InuYasha froze when his ears picked up her accelerating heartbeat. He should have pulled away yet he didn't. He didn't want to separate himself from her, instead his hold on her became even tighter, not wanting to break away from her. Not from his Kagome. He looked down to see that her cheeks glowed a light shade of pink and the small smile on her lips. _'What is she thinking about?'_ he wondered until he felt a tug at his haori.

Looking down he saw Kagome's hand grasp at his red haori, her grip tight. She snuggled closer to his chest, causing him to begin blushing, his own heart rate accelerating to match hers. Then his ears picked up on her soft voice. "Thank you...InuYasha" she whispered softly. With one arm around her waist he moved the other up, to cradle her head, his claws softly trailing through her cheek.

Kagome held on for dear life, even if it meant further heartbreak later on she wanted-no-_needed_ this moment. She loved InuYasha, her InuYasha, so much that it overrode every logical thought and reason in her mind. She would hold this moment close to her heart and treasure it always, even if it turns out to be their only moment together.

* * *

At the familiar clicking sound and the creaking sound of an opening door Fayth was snapped out of her quiet inner meditation. Her grip on the gun tightened, ready to pull it out in a moments notice. Her hearing became more tuned to the footsteps of the intruder. Judging from the sound it must have been a male. About to pull her gun on the person that dared try to sneak up on her, she was halted by the sound of his voice echoing in the silent room.

"Fayth?"

She mentally sighed, of course it had to be _him_.

Itsuki walked closer to the bed. It didn't take much to get a cardkey to her room, just a few seductive words to the young receptionist. He even gave her one of his heart stopping smirks for good measure; earning him the card key _and_ her number in return. Not that he really needed the phone number, it was just a nice boost to his ego. No, currently his only target was right there, lying quietly on the bed in the middle of the room. Although he was slightly annoyed at how their last session was cut **extremely** short he could help but also feel some concern for the woman only a couple of feet away. Why? He knew why, not that his pride would ever let him admit it out loud. Hell, he wouldn't admit it to himself...at least not _fully_.

"Fayth?" He called out again quietly for good measure. Seeing that the form currently hidden under white covers was not responding he inched closer, careful to not make any unnecessary noises.

The grip on her gun lessened, although she wouldn't allow her hand to actually pull away. This time Fayth was determined to stop him from doing _anything_ to her. During her meditation she decided that whatever the hell she hallucinated before was just that, a hallucination. And all the dreams? It was all some messed up way for her mind to cope with her everyday headaches. Imagining a whole different life with different people who all looked strangely similar to the people she recognized from her daily life. That InuYasha guy was definitely Itsuki, just as arrogant, just as stupid, and just as _painful_ for her to think about. No, this time he wasn't getting his way; she wouldn't allow him. Before he would **dare** place a hand on her, she would point a gun right to his face. His ego would be too big to risk a gunshot to his so-called-perfect face.

Finally reaching the bed Itsuki knelt down beside her, taking in her form. He couldn't help but chuckle, even asleep she always seemed to be tense. He reached his hand out to tuck several stray strands of hair behind her hair. The glow of the moonlight filtering through the windows gave her creamy skin an ethereal glow. He marveled at how her lips were parted, letting out slow even breathes. The way her body would rise and fall with her breathing. Her perfectly soft skin, remarkably spared from the harshness of her lifestyle.

He pulled away from his wandering thoughts to concentrate on the next task at hand. Reaching a hand out he slipped it underneath her pillow, searching for something. Fayth struggled with the need to both slap the crap out of him and to throw herself into his arms. She wasn't even sure how he even managed to find her room number, much less obtain a cardkey to said room. She completely froze when she felt his hand snake its way under her pillow, feeling around the area.

Finally after a bit Itsuki's hand brushed against the object he was searching for, her gun. _'Sneaking little one I see'_ he thought as he gripped the gun and began to slowly pull it away. Fayth's fingers twitched, her mind unsure of whether to tighten or loosen her hold. While her mind was busy with its dilemma her grip loosened, allowing him to pull the gun from underneath her pillow. He pulled it up and smirked "Always the ever cautious one" he mused, placing the gun on top of the nightstand.

Turning his gaze back to her sleeping form his smirk turned into a frown, reaching to push strands of hair behind her ear. "Damn it Fay-..._Kiyoye_... why do you do this to me. Why have you been the only one able to-" he stopped himself from finishing. Resting his hand on her cheek, his thumb lightly caressing her cheek, he noticed her expression soften slightly.

Her heart was racing. Losing the hold on the _only _thing that would have kept him at bay was one thing. But hearing him speak had her on baited breath; waiting, pleading for him to finish his sentence. She needed to know what his feelings were towards her. She needed to know if he loved her. To her disappointment he didn't continue, but feeling his hand on her cheek helped her from falling into complete sadness. It was a nice reassurance that he didn't try any of his usual perverse tactics. Instead, he was being affectionate, something she had only felt once before.

Itsuki sighed heavily, ready to pull his hand away from her cheek and leave. Taking one more good look at the troubled woman before him he was filled with the need to kiss her, to feel her soft lips upon his own. He lowered his head to hers, their lips barely touching until he suddenly halted himself, instead opting to kiss her forehead instead. Fayth could barely process what he was doing; completely surprised and relieved that he didn't kiss her lips as she thought but taken aback when she felt his lips pressed against her forehead.

He reluctantly pulled away, sitting back up to take another good look at her before standing up and turning to walk away. She tried, _tried with everything she had_, to control the urge to pull him back. Hearing the footsteps become fainter caused her heart to demand with increased need, begging her to stop him. She held herself still, feeling the tears at the brink of falling, not allowing her heart to win...no...not again. Not ever. Upon hearing the door click as it softly closed she finally allowed the tears to fall, her pain evident in the way she clutched onto her pillow and pressed her face into it...the sounds of her sobs being muffled. She hated herself, but no matter the pain she felt now she knew that it could never compare to the pain that she could have felt if she did stop him. In the end, she was alone, her tears the only thing to accompany her as sleep descended upon her.

After closing the door Itsuki leaned himself against it, looking up at nothing in particular. The hallway was completely silent, the lights dimmed. Fayth...she was a woman of fire and he was always drawn to it. After the things she had been through he was with her through every step since their childhood; she had seen him at his best and worse as he did with her. He was the first one she allowed to address her with her first name. She was his...his Kiyoye. She always managed to light a fire under anyone, her passion and determination unwavering. Yet when he would be near her...besides the obvious attraction he saw there was always sadness behind her eyes. He sighed, his hand digging in his pants pocket to pull out a small gold ring with a ruby stone in the middle. How did he manage to screw it all up so badly? How did he manage to turn her love for him...into so much anger? Shoving the ring back into his pocket, Itsuki stood straight and began the walk back towards his room...alone.

* * *

The sun was bright, being able to pierce through the shade of the trees down to the sleeping group. Even with the abundant leaves above them there were several patches of sun able to shine down on Kagome's face, stirring her from her peaceful sleep. She awoke, sitting up and stretching her arms a bit before realization dawned on her; InuYasha was not with her. Was it all a dream? Had she become so desperate that she was able to dream all of what happened and make it seem real? He thoughts were halted when InuYasha jumped down from his perch high above and landed right in front of her. Standing straight up he extended his hand out to her

"Well? Let's go Kagome we ain't got all day you know!" He said, trying his best to play out the usual routine.

Kagome scrunched her face in annoyance before taking his hand and hoisting herself up. She was ready to say something back but decided against it; she simply wasn't in the mood for another fight. InuYasha looked at her curiously, wondering why she didn't attempt her usual annoying rants which usually ended with him in a crater. Cringing at the thought, he decided to not go any further. Instead the group silently packed their belongings together to prepare for another day of travel.

Two days to go.

* * *

Fayth awoke from her sleep; surprised that she was even able to get any rest. She swung her legs over to the edge of the bed and stood up, stretching out her limbs. After a few satisfying pops she glanced over to the clock on the nightstand, noting there was still some time before her meeting with this CEO person. She walked over to the small bathroom and look at herself in the mirror, her eyes were still slightly red and puffy from last night's events. _'Last night...'_ she solemnly thought; remembering his words, the gentle touch of his hand upon her face, and the heat she felt from his lips. Thinking about it was enough to have her heart racing again and the familiar pink tint return to her cheeks. Damn it all; why couldn't it be easier to just hate him. Shaking her head furiously in an attempt to push away those thoughts she brought her mind to the task at hand. Today she would meet this CEO; today she would find out about her assignment.

Two days left to go.

* * *

Special tree from Japan? _Hint hint._ It helps tie the four together considering the locations are waaaaaaaaay different. And don't worry, the bracelet has a small story in itself.

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	6. Assignment

A/N: Moar stuffs? Yessu, moar stuffs...although I may put this story on hiatus since I haven't received much in terms of feedback... Maybe. Depends on my mood really...

This chapter will be somewhat short and exclusively focused on the assignment for Fayth and Itsuki as it plays a big role. I mean what can I say from Kagome and InuYasha's side? There will be some comedic relief; but let's for now mostly assume that they are just traveling.

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Kiyoye Fayth de la Rosa, Itsuki Taisho, Seishirou Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine...Kikyou would have died...**long** ago. *evil laugh*

* * *

**Chapter 6: Assignment**

* * *

Fayth prepared herself for the day ahead, deciding to wear a dark blue tank top and black jeans with white sneakers. She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned, around her body were tiny little bruises from that night. Cursing her luck, she rummaged through her luggage and pulled out a white turtleneck sweater. Knowing this would cause many stares, seeing as how it was _**summer**_ here in Japan, she put it on in order to avoid having to use concealer since she didn't actually bring any with her. _'Damn Itsuki'_ was the only thought constantly repeating itself in her head while she finished fixing herself up to then make her way out of her room to meet said person and travel to the meeting place.

* * *

Itsuki was already downstairs, waiting for Fayth to arrive. Everything was already set, at least, according to that guy from the Japanese Criminal Investigation Bureau. He was dressed as professionally as possible; although he honestly hated having to dress that way. Fidgeting with the tie for a bit, he wondered exactly who it was they were meeting. Up until now no one had bothered to actually give them a name. He continued to straighten the tie until he heard the ding from the elevators. Turning towards them, he watched the metal doors slide open and struggled to keep his mouth closed. Exiting the elevators was Fayth, wearing a burgundy red wig that flowed down to her waist, pink eye shadow and a dark red lipstick. He couldn't help but smirk at the sight of the turtleneck since he knew he was the cause for her wearing it.

Fayth noticed his smirk and punched his arm with some force in retribution. He flinched slightly at the stinging pain but the smirk wouldn't go away. She frowned at her failed attempt but then looked at his attire and couldn't help breaking out into laughter. Now it was Itsuki who frowned at her reaction to what he was wearing.

"And what is so funny?" He asked.

"What the hell are you wearing?!" She said between breathes, attempting to stop the hysterical fit of laughter

"I actually tried to look presentable. Where the hell do you think you're going dressed like that?"

"Like I care what I look like." Fayth barely managed to say between laughs.

Deciding that he had enough with her laugher he pulled her arm towards him, holding her body flush against his. She immediately ceased her laugher and instead struggled to pull away but his hold over her only tightened.

He leaned down to her ear and whispered "I know that you love it baby."

He let her go with a satisfied smirk on his face when he noticed her silence. Fayth wasn't completely sure how to react so instead she decided to turn away and walk out towards the car waiting for them outside.

Today was going to be a long day.

* * *

The car ride seemed to drag on for hours although in reality it had only been about a two hour trip. Fayth sat as far away as she could from Itsuki, distracting herself with her phone in order to avoid having to carry any conversation with him. The building they arrived to was a tall one, clearly taller than any of the surrounding buildings. The whole building was made with dark glass panels and the feeling one got was one of general uneasiness. Getting out of the car, the two looked at each other for a second before looking back at the building. Itsuki decided to make the first move and began walking towards the building, Fayth following closely behind.

Arriving inside they were greeted by a young pale child, with white hair and a white dress. Her face was expressionless, her eyes lacked life. She looked at them for a while before turning around and walking to the elevators.

"Follow me." She said in a low monotone voice, barely loud enough for them to hear.

The two followed behind the strange child to the open elevator. Fayth noticed that this particular elevator went up to the top floor and felt a lump form in her throat. Something from within her screamed that she turn around and walk away, forewarning her of the danger. This feeling of fear was something completely foreign to her. She could honestly say she only felt it a few times in her lifetime. This feeling...it left her feeling vulnerable. She hated feeling scared, it wasn't like her at all. Chalking it up to nerves, she swallowed the lump down and kept her composure as the doors opened and they stepped out. Itsuki wasn't fairing any better, for some reason he felt a rage well from within the close they got to the huge wooden double doors down the hallway.

Once they arrived the child simply knocked twice before turning towards them. "He shall see you both now..." she said before walking back to the elevators.

They looked at each other while waiting, the uneasiness clear in both of their eyes. Itsuki instinctively reached for Fayth's hand, giving it a slight squeeze in reassurance, which Fayth responded to. The two doors swung open and they walked in, still holding hands. The room was a fairly big one, the windows covered by thick black curtains, preventing any light from filtering through. The general atmosphere was dark, the furniture all back and the walls and carpet a dark red. Suddenly, a fairly loud voice echoed throughout the room.

"Come in and sit."

They both walked over to the two chairs that were situated before the work desk and sat down; never letting go of the others hand. The person sitting behind the desk had their back turned to them, preventing them from seeing his face.

"I assume that you are Kiyoye Kobayashi and Itsuki Taisho...correct?" the unknown voice asked.

"Correct" Itsuki replied. "And you are?"

The chair turned around, revealing a man with pale skin, wearing a black suit, with piercing red eyes, and long jet black hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"Call me...**Naraku**" he replied, extending his hand out.

Itsuki subconsciously let out a low growl, why he couldn't be sure. Fayth turned to look at him in surprise, giving his hand a squeeze before pulling away to shake Naraku's hand.

"Naraku...a pleasure I'm su_—_"she was instantly cut off. As she spoke she reached out with her hand to shake his. Being only centimeters away she swore she could see a purple spark emerge between them and she retracted her hand on impulse. _'What the hell was that?'_ she wondered briefly before looking over to Naraku whose face was contorted into one of pain. "Uh...I apologize...I don't know what just_—"_

"Do not worry about it." he replied, cutting her off.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Itsuki broke the uneasy silence. "Well Naraku I have heard that you know of my family...is this true?"

"Why yes" He replied with a grin "You father and I have dealt with each other for many years before your brother took over."

"Half-brother" Itsuki corrected.

"Yes...by the way, how is Seishirou?"

"Alive, to my displeasure." Itsuki replied, with obvious irritation in his tone.

Naraku chuckled at the response before turning his attention over to Fayth. "Why Kiyoye...I was told of your beauty but I must say the comments I have heard do you no justice. You are far more beautiful then I imagined."

"Thank you; although I am sure you exaggerate" she replied with a brief smile.

"I assure you I do not...and that jewel around your neck compliments you even more" Naraku said, a smirk clear on his face.

Fayth instantly brought her hand to the small jewel, squeezing it slightly while Itsuki again growled subconsciously, extending his arm in front of Fayth, as if protecting her from the man before them. "With formalities out of the way...what is the purpose of this meeting Naraku?"

Naraku stared a while more at Fayth, eyeing her up and down, before directing his attention back at Itsuki. "The reason for this meeting is simple; I have an assignment for you both."

"Which would be?"

"Simple; I want you both to retrieve an item for me..."

Fayth stood up, her hands on her hips, her face showing irritation. "You called me out all the way to Japan for a retrieval?! Do I _look_ like a dog to you?!"

Naraku turned his attention back at Fayth, this time taking his time to observe her from her head down to her waist. She felt a shudder creep down her spine, feeling that he was inspecting her like a piece of meat.

"I assure you the item is...of **significant** importance." He replied.

Itsuki reached for her arm and lightly tugged at it, silently asking her to calm down. She sat back down in her seat, albeit still irritated and slightly repulsed at the way Naraku continued to look at her. It felt somewhat...perverse, _obsessive_, something that left her uneasy and wanting to leave.

Seeing her sit down left Itsuki slightly more relaxed but he could help the feeling of anger at seeing how Naraku continued to look at her. Usually he never felt so possessive over Fayth before, then again the past couple of days he found himself wanting to be constantly near her so he assumed that it was just from the prolonged contact. Clearing his throat in order to have Naraku's attention back towards him, he continued "Please explain in details so we may further our discussion."

"Well I need you both to head to a shrine, there is a family living there but your target will be an old well house. Inside of the old structure will be a well, within that well will be an item of importance."

"If this is as simple as you say then why request our services?"

"The item I require is of grave importance...I would rather use people of exceptional skill for this task."

"How are you sure we can be trusted?"

"I know your family, and I have been told many stories of Ms. Kobayashi's own exploits. She is a very exceptional worker for these types of tasks." Naraku replied, folding his hands over the table.

Fayth began to grow weary of all the small talk and decided to interject. "Cut the small talk Naraku and get to the point, what it this item, where is it, and how much are you planning to pay?"

"I like a woman that gets straight to the point." Naraku replied with a smirk, earning another low growl from Itsuki. "The item you will see as soon as you get into the well. The well itself is covered and there are several seals placed upon it. The location I shall specify tonight, it belongs to a rather humble family consisting of an old priest, a woman, and her son. How much...well you may set the price."

"That easy?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest, leaning her back on the chair.

"Very simple...so will you accept?"

Fayth and Itsuki looked at each other for a brief moment before directing their attention back towards Naraku.

"Accepted, we await your further instruction." Itsuki replied, standing up and grabbing Fayth by the arm, pulling her up along with him. "Good day Naraku." he ended, turning around towards the door and pulling Fayth behind him. As they were about to walk past the door Naraku called out to them.

"Might I have a moment to speak to Kiyoye...alone?" he asked.

Itsuki's hold on Fayth tightened even more, causing her to wince at the pain. She pulled her arm away and glared at Itsuki before turning around to face Naraku with a smile on her face. "Of course." she replied, walking back towards her seat.

Itsuki himself was appalled, how dare she go back to him? Alone of all things? What the hell was wrong with her? Before he could protest the door closed right in front of him. Looking he saw the strange pale child was responsible for closing the door. He crossed his arms in annoyance, and leaned against the wall, waiting for Fayth to come back out.

As soon as she took her seat Naraku himself stood up. This left her uncomfortable and feeling vulnerable. The room gradually began to become colder and Fayth could tell by the small puff of condensed air from when she exhaled. Naraku walked over to her and picked up her left hand, encasing it within his own. Looking down she noticed that somehow he took the time to put on a pair of black gloves which generated confusion within her.

"Kiyoye..."

"Miss. Kobayashi if you don't mind. I am rather uncomfortable with people using my first name."

"Well...Miss. Kobayashi I must say that you are the most stunning woman I have ever laid eyes upon."

"I appreciate the compliment; although I am sure that isn't true."

"Oh but it is...May I ask you a question?"

"If you must..."

"What is you relation to Taisho?"

Fayth became visibly tense at the question. She could tell by the look in his eyes, Naraku was **lusting** over her...and she _really_ didn't feel comfortable. She weighed her options, which would be the lesser of two evils here? Naraku...she couldn't shake the feeling of danger, of fear, in being near him. Itsuki...she just didn't like him. Taking her decision rather quickly she gathered the inner strength necessary to prepare herself for the next couple of words to leave her mouth.

"We are planning to" she paused, her mouth unwilling to let the next word leave her until she forced it out "...wed."

Naraku became visibly angry at the statement. "So you love him?"

"I do."

"Why? When you can have a man of more power...of wealth? Someone who can bring you stability..._and_ pleasure."

"Love cannot be commanded, it simply happens..."

"I am not speaking of love. I will get to the point, if given the chance would you consider staying with me?"

Fayth winced at the question. The feeling of danger and fear doubled within her; so much so that she lost the will to continue her politeness. "If I am in love then I wouldn't be interested in being anyone's lover. Who the hell do you think you are?!" she angrily asked, jerking her hand away from his grasp. "If I'm here it's for an assignment and nothing more. So kindly back the **fuck** off and don't ever try to hit on me again; because I assure you that next time you try I will _personally_ beat some damn sense into you...without caring who you are!" she finished, standing up and turning around to make her way to the doors. As soon as she opened one of the doors she walked past it quickly, hearing Naraku's voice echo out to her before she could close the door.

"I assure you when we meet again you will be begging me for another chance!" he yelled out, followed by a dark foreboding laughter that shook her to the core.

* * *

Most of the day went along according to routine. They traveled practically the whole day, not stopping even for a rest much to Kagome's displeasure. Normally she would have argued with him, maybe even 'sit' him, but her heart honestly wasn't in it. Finally as the sun began to set the group decided on using Miroku's usual "I see a dark cloud over this village" routine to get lodging for the night. Thankfully the ruse was more than successful; gaining them lodging in the home of the village headman. But the relief was quickly replaced by anger when said monks incorrigible hand twitched its way to the closest female, which _happened_ to be the headman's daughter. After that incident they were forced out of the village and, subsequently, forced to stay in a nearby cave.

Needless to say, Kagome preferred the cave over a forest clearing tonight. The rain outside was intense as well as the wind, which they were spared from due to the cave. To her displeasure though the cave itself was damp, making it a **lot** warmer than she would have liked.

She sat at the opening, admiring how quiet and peaceful everything seemed. There was simply no comparison to her time, the tranquility...the general atmosphere...she could easily see herself living here. She sighed in content before glancing back to the group who currently were enjoying a small meal of ramen. Miroku himself was in a dark corner unconscious, with a large bump at the top of his head courtesy of Sango's Hiraikotsu. Sango ate her ramen in silence as did InuYasha and Shippou, in fear of provoking her wrath. Looking back out to the forest a small smile appeared on her lips. This was her family; she couldn't imagine how her life would have been without all of them.

"Kagome?"

Kagome snapped out of her thoughts and turned around to face the person who called to her, Sango.

"You're not going to eat anything?" Sango asked in concern.

Kagome shook her head before responding. "No, I'm not very hungry..."

"Keh, don't be stupid wench and eat something!" InuYasha said, noodles slipping out of his mouth as he spoke.

Sango shot an angry glare towards InuYasha which had him tense for a moment, muttering out something that sounded like damn women before returning his attention to the ramen cup in his hands. Kagome simply smiled to Sango in appreciation before returning her attention to the pouring rain outside. They were getting closer to Kaede's village, closer to hopefully getting an answer for her latest experiences.

One day left to go.

* * *

Itsuki was fuming mad, he demanded answers from Fayth and she wouldn't give him any. Why didn't she understand that she was **his** damn it! _'No wait...the fuck am I thinking? She's just a good lay is all...a good, __**hot **__lay...'_ His shoulders slumped at his own thoughts. Even if he did..._feel_ that way...she still hates him; not that he could blame her. After what he did to her...but even then, she never did let him even try to explain himself after that night... Sighing in defeat, his mind wandered back the important matter at hand; **Naraku**. He could feel the anger boil within from the mere thought of the name. He grabbed his cell phone from the nightstand and visibly cringed at what he was about to do. Going through the contacts he highlighted the peculiar name: Ice King, and dialed.

It rang twice before he could hear the click and an emotionless voice speak; his question sounding more like a statement. "You dare call at this time."

"Great to hear from you to Seishirou." Itsuki grumbled in response.

"What do you want?"

"I need information...on a man named Naraku."

There was a brief silence between them before Seishirou spoke again. "Naraku Kanzaki...he is a man of little importance to me."

"That doesn't actually answer my question."

"He claims to have strong ties to the clan; he does not."

"Damn it all; I _knew_ he was lying. Seishirou, I need all the information you can get me on Naraku. Send it to me on my phone as soon as you get it."

"And why would you believe that I would actually help you."

"I don't have time for this! Seishirou stop being an asshole and just do it!"

"Hmph, with that attitude I'm surprised that woman has yet to kill you...what was her name? Oh yes, Kiyoye Fayth de la Rosa was it not?"

"Don't you **dare** ever say her name again!"

"What's wrong _little_ brother? You should be the one forbidden to say her name...or am I wrong?"

Itsuki's grip on the phone became stronger, his teeth clenched together in anger. "What the hell would you know?! "

"I know more than you would believe. If you want information on Naraku then you shall receive it by tomorrow but do not call again, especially on this phone." Seishirou replied before abruptly hanging up the phone.

Itsuki stood in silence, his anger still boiling inside him as well as a bit of sadness. _'That bastard...but first things first; __**Naraku**__...then Seishirou.'_

* * *

Fayth sat in her bed surrounded in total silence. After she had left Naraku's office she was instantly bombarded by Itsuki's never ending rant and questions which infuriated her to no end. He acted as if she was somehow _his_ which, as far as she was concerned, she was not. His constant pestering pushed her to the point of riding the subway and finding her own way to the hotel which, in hindsight, was a **terrible** idea. She had never felt so constricted before and couldn't fathom how all those people managed to squeeze into the damn train; but they did, and it left her with aches everywhere.

Sighing, she picked up the cell phone on her nightstand. Going through the contacts, she decided to consult the only one who could possibly answer the questions that have been plaguing her for the past few days.

There were at least three rings before she heard the familiar click, and a groggy male voice answered with an irritated tone. "Hello?"

"Zarudin?" she asked, unsure of whether it was him or not.

"Damn it woman! I'm here trying to get some sleep before tonight's assignment! What do you want?"

She could sense his irritation which only fueled her own in response. "Well don't bite my damn head off Zarudin!"

There was a small amount of silence before he actually spoke again. "You wouldn't be calling unless it's something important...what is it? Taisho?"

"No..." she began to say, her legs slowly swinging back and forth over the side of the bed, unsure of how to ask what she needed to. "I...well, I..."

"If it's not him then what's wrong?"

"Don't you **dare** assume I'm crazy but...since you're the only one who knows _anything_ about psychology..."

"Get to the point."

"I am! Well...I've been having these dreams for the past few days which seem...real. But it's not me_—I mean—it's like someone else's life that I am seeing...but it feels too __real__ to be just a dream."_

_"Well...if I were some regular person I would say you lost your damn mind..."_

_"Hey!"_

_"Let me finish, there is a concept where some believe that if a person dreams of what appears to be another person's life then they could simply be dreaming of a past life."_

"Past life?"

"Yeah, when one's connection is strong enough then when they sleep they dream of their past life and are able to sense and feel everything their past life did."

Fayth stayed in silence for a moment trying to register what Zarudin just told her. It seemed too impossible to be true yet she couldn't deny that, at this point, there were no other more logical explanations.

"Anyway to stop them?" she asked, afraid of the answer but unwilling to go on without knowing.

"Usually when this happens it is because the past life is going to an emotionally challenging moment in their life, it won't stop until they get through it...or until you see what you need to see."

"Fuck."

"Why the question? Don't tell me your trying to get into psychology?" Zarudin asked, chuckling lightly at the end.

"Bite me."

"Nah, your negativity will probably kill me."

"Whatever."

"Hey...has Taisho done anything to you?"

She stilled at the question, unsure of how to answer. "Done...done what?"

"You know what I mean."

"Keh...no he hasn't. You know that if he did then he would be dead right now...or at least missing an _important_ part of his anatomy." she lied through her teeth; surprising herself at how she just lied to protect Itsuki of all people.

"Better, because if you don't then we will over here."

"Yeah, sure...because you guys are _so_ intimidating."

A soft chuckle was his response to which she merely scoffed at. There was again an awkward silence between them, neither sure of what to say anymore.

"Fayth, are you ok?" Zarudin asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"What?"

"Are you ok?"

"What kind of question is that?!"

"Forget it, listen...just be careful. Don't forget we are waiting for you over here. Negumi is in complete OCD mode and she's killing me with all these assignments. Get your ass back here soon, I'm getting tired of being her target so you need to come back and take your rightful place."

"Ha! Can't handle it?" she asked, a smirk appearing on her lips.

"Not that, I just want to get back to doing nothing while watching you two go at each other's throats; it's more fun for me."

She laughed at his reply. It was a wholehearted laugh that she hadn't done for quite some time; it felt so comforting to be able to open herself enough to laugh with another person.

Even if it was over the phone.

"Stay safe alright? It's gotten boring over here with you in Japan...We'll be waiting."

"Yeah..." she replied softly.

Saying their goodbyes they hung up. She tossed the phone aside while she laid back down, her hands behind her head while she looked up at the ceiling. Tomorrow would be the day she carried out her assignment, give the agency their information and hopefully plan her return trip back to Italy. Sighing she turned over to her side, bringing her knees as close as she could to her chest so her feet wouldn't be dangling over the edge of the bed.

One day left.

* * *

Okay so a bit of explanation here to go. Naraku is last name is Kanzaki 神崎 (god promontory).

Itsuki does have an older half brother whose name is Seishirou Taisho (pronounced as either SEH ee shee RO -or- SAY shee RO) which means son of the history of the star. More on him maybe later ya?

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	7. The Trap and the Strange Well

A/N: I know its laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate! B-but I have a good reason...writers block... Sadly, I have hit a writer's block which made writing this out hard. But I plan on working through it as fast as possible.

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Kiyoye Fayth de la Rosa, Itsuki Taisho, Seishirou Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine...there would be fluffs...InuxKag FLUFFS EVERYWHERE! *shot*

* * *

**Chapter 7: The trap and a strange well**

* * *

"Itsuki!" Fayth yelled out while hitting the door.

They were already an hour later then they had planned to be and were running out of time. She felt a bit exhausted, since she found sleep to be impossible the night before. There were still too many questions, too many doubts; and when she tried to think it through her mind would shove it aside, chastising herself for thinking such stupidities to be real. Though staying awake turned out better for her, at least this time she was awake and ready on time; although her supposed partner was doing God knows what. After banging on the door repeatedly for several minutes said person finally opened the door.

From what she saw there was nothing different about him, he wore his usual outfit for missions as she was wearing. It was one of the more recent things they received from the agency. It was supposed to be made from Kevlar mixed with some other type of materials, she didn't pay much attention to the names, to make the material nearly indestructible yet also easy to manipulate and make actual clothes out of. They managed to make two different types of material, one simulating cotton while the other, more durable one, simulating leather. They boosted about how advanced they both were, the cotton one in itself **much** stronger than wearing a bulletproof vest and provided the added benefit of being knife resistant; not to mention how much stronger the leather one was. When they heard the agency would provide them with outfits using this material she jumped at the chance; anything to stop wearing bulky bulletproof vests and all the other crap.

She opted for white cotton like tube top that ended barely past her breasts and black leather like pants, jacket, and combat boots. Underneath the jacket she also wore black leather like armbands that reached up to her elbows. The only thing not made of the new material were the black choker around her neck, and a white half skirt that covered her right side.

Itsuki had a white cotton like wife beater black leather like baggy pants, jacket, and combat boots. They had plenty of times to test the material and she was very satisfied with its usefulness; and although it might seem too extreme to wear the outfits for a simple assignment one could never be too sure.

With their luck so far, something will end up going wrong and they may need to be prepared in that case.

"What the hell have you been doing?!" she asked angrily, her patience at a very low level.

"Let's go, we have about an hour before someone arrives at the shrine." he said, ignoring her question and walking past her.

She was ready to tell him a few colorful words until she noticed something in his hand. "What is that?"

"What?"

"That..." she paused, pointing at the object in question until she herself identified it. "Don't tell me...you brought that old thing here?!"

Itsuki secured the sword sheath into his belt, ensuring it wouldn't go anywhere before glancing back at Fayth. "Keh; you know I bring this everywhere."

"That sword couldn't even cut its way out of a wet paper bag!"

"How would you know?"

"That thing has seen better days..._centuries_ ago! What kind of preparation is that? Now this..." she paused, pulling out her two gold desert eagles from their holsters, her pride and joy "This is preparation...since it _is_ such a simple mission."

"Don't you think your overdoing it?"

"No; I _was_ thinking of carrying a Micro Uzi as well..._but_ since it is supposed to be a retrieval assignment...I decided to pack light." she stated in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh well aren't you something." he replied sarcastically.

She scoffed "Whatever Itsuki; good luck staving off bullets with _that_..."

"It not luck, its skill dear Fayth." he said, showing off a sexy smirk before he continued walking towards the elevators.

"Asshole..." she muttered as she followed him.

* * *

Kagome absently watched as the group got their things together to start traveling again. They were very close to Kaede's village, it would at least take an hour of travel according to Sango. She sat still in silence, still contemplated how to approach Kaede about the subject. Luckily she didn't unpack much of anything, so she had nothing to put away. When the others finished it was InuYasha voice who brought her back from her inner thoughts.

"Kagome, let's go." he said, crouching down for her to get on.

She quickly stood, grabbing the abnormally large yellow backpack and slung it over her shoulder. Walking over to him she delved back into her thoughts. Today, in just over an hour, she would have the answers she needed. Her hands gripped onto his shoulders while he secured his hold on her legs.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yes." she answered, leaning her head on his shoulder while he began his run to catch up to the rest of the group.

* * *

"_This_ is the shrine?" Fayth asked, looking up at the enormous amount of stair steps leading up to the ancient structure. "Well...it's definitely seen better days..."

"Shut it; this _is_ a piece of our history" Itsuki replied, making is way up the steps.

Fayth followed behind him, still unimpressed. "Your history maybe...not mine. Besides...this looks like the _only_ shrine in all of Tokyo!"

"It's not; there are several of them." he stated in a matter of fact tone.

Fayth scoffed in reply. After many steps they finally made it to the top; the shrine structure up ahead of them.

"The well house should be off to the right, past that tree." he said, pointing to the enormous tree that was clearly taller and more massive than any of the other surrounding trees.

Fayth nodded in acknowledgement as they made their way towards the direction of the well house.

"No one's home right?" Fayth asked, looking around at her surroundings.

"No, the boy is at school and the mother and grandfather should be at the doctors...why?"

"I don't know...something seems _off_"

"Yeah I know; it seems too quiet...stay on guard" he replied in a low voice, looking back at her briefly before turning to look up ahead; only to then turn back to Fayth. "What are you doing?"

Fayth looked up at him while she shrugged the jacket off her shoulders, using the sleeves to tie the article of clothing around her waist. "What...? It's **hot**!" she replied in a huff.

"You should know better than to pull off your _only_ real protection" he dryly pointed out.

"You do what you want to. I am hot and chances are we won't need it anyway."

He shook his head in disbelief before turning back around to walk to the shrine. "Suit yourself."

"Whatever" she replied, following from behind.

Upon reaching the tree Itsuki pointed at a small, old structure up ahead. "That's the well house."

"Yeah I see it" she replied. Fayth walked past the tree, making her way to the well house until she was abruptly stopped. Turning, she faced the enormous tree again, her eyes fixated on peculiar scar on the trunk. She began to walk towards it, feeling something calling out to her. Reaching her hand out she was only inches from touching it until she felt Itsuki grab her other arm.

"Fayth, we have to move fast."

She pulled her arm away from his grasp, still fixated on the tree. Something about it felt strangely familiar, like she has somehow seen this tree before. Itsuki again grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. With both hands on her shoulders he shook her a bit to snap her out of her daze, calling her name out as he did so.

"What the hell?!" Fayth asked, jerking herself away from his grasp.

"That's what I want to know! Waste time later Fayth!" Itsuki angrily replied before turning his back towards her, walking back towards the well house.

Fayth looked back at the tree, still unable to shake the strange sensation. _'Itsuki can handle it on his own'_ she thought, walking back towards the tree. She reached the base of the huge tree and extended her hand out to lightly trace along the edges of the scar on the trunk. Suddenly, an image came to her mind. It only lasted a brief second but she saw it clearly. It looked like the same guy in her dreams, like InuYasha, but he appeared to be tied to the tree by several vines. His expression seemed so peaceful, yet the part that stuck out the most was the arrow that was impaled into his chest. That image seemed so real that it left her breathless for a couple of seconds. In an attempt to regain her composure she was startled by the sound of a gunshot. _'Gunshot...?'_ Her eyes widened at the realization that the sound was close, too close. Turning around she ran to the well house as fast as she could. She slid the door open and ran down the four or so steps.

"Itsuki?!" she called out, trying to listen for his response to disprove her own thoughts.

The well house was small, there was no room for him to hide anywhere unless he went into the well. She slowly approached the wooden structure, being careful of her surroundings. The sound of the door sliding closed had her quickly turn around to face a shadowed figure standing mere feet away from her.

"Itsuki?" She called out, hoping that it was just a sick joke from his part.

"I'm afraid not..." the figure replied.

Fayth's eyes widened upon recognizing the voice.

"Naraku...what kind of sick game is this? Where's Itsuki?!" she yelled, her hands instinctively reaching for her guns.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk Kiyoye...don't move those lovely hands of yours any further."

Her hands shook in anger; she couldn't believe how easily she fell into Naraku's trap. She should have known better than to blindly run into unknown surroundings. She should have known better than to separate herself from her partner.

Damn it all, she fell too easily.

"Where's Itsuki?!" she asked again; her tone thick with anger.

"Do not worry, you'll be joining him soon enough." He replied, pulling out what appeared to be a gun from behind him. "Hold still, I want to make this quick."

"Damn you Naraku! This was all a setup!" Fayth yelled out.

"Ah but you see, you both will serve as part of something bigger. Bigger then you could ever imagine...you will help in changing the future. You will help reverse everything of the past so that I may have my full powers, my **real** wish as well." he said, a dark laughter following right after.

Calculating the time, it would take her about five seconds to pull out her gun and fire. There was really no room for her to move anywhere to avoid the bullet so she knew it would hit her somewhere. If she attempt to shift her body to the side she could potentially avoid a fatal wound...yet it was all speculation at the moment. It would take Naraku at least three seconds to react and pull the trigger to his gun, and he at least was already aimed at her. But if she could at least wound him, _maybe_ it would be enough.

"Goodbye Kiyoye...you will serve me well." he said, pulling the trigger.

_'Now!'_ she thought, her body running on pure adrenaline as she pulled a gun out and fired quickly before shifting her body to the left. All she saw was the bullet.

Suddenly, all she felt was a sharp, shooting pain.

* * *

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	8. Down the rabbit hole and back again?

A/N: Sorry I took forevah! Don't hate meh...

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Kiyoye Fayth de la Rosa, Itsuki Taisho, Seishirou Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine... Kagura would have liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiived.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Down the rabbit hole and...back...again?**

* * *

The last hour of travel passed by in relative silence. It took them a while to fully understand their current predicament. Naraku had the jewel practically complete. All that was missing was Kohaku's shard; and he was nowhere to be found at the moment. Kikyou was gone, she was dead. It wasn't some temporary thing either; she would never be seen around again. All the time spent, all the battles, everything seemed so fruitless at this point.

Everything seemed against them.

Kagome finally was able to sort out what she wanted to say to Kaede. She was full of determination to resolve whatever was happening with her so they could keep going onwards in their journey. As they neared her determination began to waver at the thought of Kikyou. InuYasha would have to inform Kaede about her sister's death. Kagome's grip on his shoulder became tighter at the thought. InuYasha must have been suffering the most out of the whole group, he lost his first love. She could feel the tears burning for release, but she willed them away. She would not cry; she couldn't. She needed to be strong for them all; she needed to bring positive energy to them all; even if inside she felt so empty and alone.

InuYasha's own mind was racing. As they neared the village he knew that he would have to tell Kaede about Kikyou's death. _'Death'_; even the thought of the word was too painful. Even if he loved Kagome, he knew in his heart he could never fully forget Kikyou. She was the first woman he loved, the first one he let into his lonely world. Even though with Kagome he felt so peaceful and happy, something that he never fully felt with Kikyou, the conflicting feelings of love for Kagome and guilt over Kikyou wouldn't leave him alone. He was brought back from his thoughts by the feeling of Kagome's grip becoming tighter on his shoulders.

She loves him, as he loves her.

But neither could admit it.

Even now Kikyou seemed to be a wall between them. The fact that she was now dead didn't change anything. Kagome felt that she was still second to her. She felt like a replacement for Kikyou. It wasn't right, she shouldn't be comparing herself to Kikyou, and she should be strong for the group. She should be strong for InuYasha.

"The village is just up ahead." Miroku called out from above. Both InuYasha and Kagome looked up at Sango, Miroku, and Shippou; who were currently riding on Kirara.

Upon seeing the village Kagome's resolve only lessened. But even if it killed her, she would be strong for everyone. She won't shed tears. She would shove her feelings aside and close herself away. She needed to be strong.

InuYasha felt worse at seeing the small village up ahead. The sight only reminded him of the inevitable; he would have to tell Kaede about Kikyou. How would she react? He had failed to protect her again. His grip on Kagome only tightened, as if afraid that someone would take her away too. No. He couldn't let that happen. He couldn't lose Kagome too.

He wouldn't be able to bear it.

As they got closer to the village the group found themselves temporarily caught off guard by a blinding purple light. They all halted their movement, in awe at the sight. The light and the aura around it was fairly strong; strong enough that it drove many nearby, albeit low level, demons to run away from it. The light was powerful enough to cast the sky into a pinkish-purple hue, and anyone nearby would have immediately taken notice. What was even more surprising was the direction from where the light came from.

"InuYasha..." Kagome began to say.

He nodded in response, knowing what she was going to say. And with silent confirmation, they all immediately changed direction; heading to the direction of the light.

The bone eaters well.

* * *

The pain was overwhelming. It hurt like hell. Fayth's eyes were closed tightly; she felt her body tip over the lip of the ancient well, the blood trail descending from her right arm down to her hand. From the amount of pain she was sure that the bullet shattered a bone in her upper arm. She felt her body descending into the well, and waited for the inevitable pain that would come from hitting the bottom.

But it never came.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself looking up towards the blue sky. _'Sky?'_ She struggled to stand up; her left hand coming up to put pressure on her wound. _'Wasn't I inside?'_ Using the vines that cascaded down the walls of the well around her, she made her way up the well as best she could. Her right arm, although somewhat responsive, was in too much pain for her to use. She hoisted herself over the lip of the well, her eyes widening at the sight before her. She was met by a clear blue sky, tall grass and trees surrounding the area.

Pulling herself out of the well, she fell onto the grass with a loud thud. Her hand gripped her shoulder, which pulsed even more in agonizing pain. Sitting on the grass, she looked inside the pouch that rested at the side of her hip, hidden behind the white half skirt. Fayth pulled out a small clear bottle, used her teeth to twist the cap off, and poured the clear liquid over her wound; hissing in pain as the liquid made contact with the raw skin. Throwing the bottle aside she pulled out a gauze strip from the pouch and wrapped it around her wound haphazardly. She couldn't stay there for long. She didn't even know _where_ the hell she was to begin with, much less who, or what, could be around.

Now that she thought about it, she didn't see Itsuki at all at the bottom of the well, or around the surrounding area. What happened to him? Did Naraku... _'No'_ she thought, shoving aside the thought. Itsuki had to be somewhere around here...he _had_ to.

Wherever here is.

The rustling of a nearby bush had her instantly shift her focus back to the task at hand. Getting the hell out of here and finding shelter. But the rustling wasn't from the breeze and she knew it, she wasn't alone. Looking towards the bush she saw what looked like a rabbit jump out and sighed in relief. The feeling didn't last long though. What appeared to be a long tongue came from behind the bush; it wrapped itself around the small creature, and pulled it back towards the bush; most likely to its death. A lump began to form in her throat, something which did not usually happen. It was the unknown that provoked the growing anxiety within her. She could deal with corrupt humans any day; but whatever _that_ was; she wasn't so sure she could deal with that.

Hearing no additional noises, she began to slowly crawl away, hoping to not draw attention from whatever that thing was. Unfortunately, luck wasn't on her side as she heard the rustling grow louder. Looking back she saw what looked like a giant snake, a _**floating**_ giant snake. It looked horrendous, its purple scales and yellow underbelly covered in slime. It had to be at least 40 feet long, and midway the body split into two. Crap, it was a _**two-headed**_ snake.

**A big, slimy, two-headed, **_**floating**_**, snake.**

She was in trouble.

The snakes both cackled loudly at the sight before them. The one on the left was the one who spoke first. "Look brother! It seems that dinner has arrived!"

"I see brother! A human priestess! She shall surely whet our appetite!" the other replied, baring his sharp fangs out.

_'Crap!'_ was all Fayth could think over and over. Her left hand reached over for one of the guns and pulled it out, aiming straight for the snake. "Don't move" was all she could say. The two heads laughed in response to her command.

"Brother!" the left one began to say between laughs "She believes herself to be a threat to us!"

"Ha! We shall show her then brother!" the right one responded.

Both stopped their laughing fit and turned towards Fayth, their mouths open and ready to strike, the venom dripping from their fangs. Fayth pulled the trigger, the loud pop sound echoing all over their surroundings as the bullet raced to hit the snake. She waited for the cry of pain, waited for the noticeable wound to appear, waited for the seeping of blood.

She waited.

It didn't come.

Instead as soon as the bullet pierced the snake the wound began to close itself instantly. The snakes were caught off guard by what just happened before becoming infuriated.

"Enough! You shall now become a part of us!" the snakes both shouted in unison.

Both of them now began their rapid descent towards their prey. Fayth could only hold her arms in front of her, her body working on pure instinct. Her eyes were tightly closed. The only thing that ran through her mind was that she was going to die, here in some unknown place. Everything she worked for, the things that she still had to do, it would all be lost. The despair was creeping into her heart, a feeling she had never felt before. A feeling she was unwilling to die feeling. _'I'm not going to die...I __**REFUSE**__ TO DIE!'_ her mind cried out.

Unbeknownst to her, the small jewel around her neck began to shine. The light from the jewel enveloped her whole body, spreading out to form a barrier around her. The snake brothers didn't see what was happening until it was too late. They both made contact with the barrier and shrieked in pain at the sparks emitting from the barrier, spreading and making contact with its body. One of Fayth's eyes opened to peer at the snake, both eyes becoming wide as saucers seeing the scene before her.

"It cannot be!" one of the heads screeched.

"A mere human!" the other screamed.

The body began to crack, the purple light filtering out from the cracks, and before she knew it the snake's body exploded into many pieces. The barrier around her dissipated and she slowly stood up, watching the pieces of flesh rain down around her, hitting the ground before dissolving into ash and the ashes being carried off in the breeze. She held her hands up in disbelief, catching the faint purple aura that was there for a brief second before fading away.

"D-did I do that?" she asked to no one in particular.

It must have been a dream; this **had** to be a dream. Magic, giant monsters...these things **don't** exist in her time. They are all stories told to children to keep their imagination alive, there was no way it could be real...

Could it?

Regardless, Fayth knew she had to leave before another one of those monsters came after her. Putting her gun back in its holster she did the only thing that she could do.

She ran.

* * *

On their way to the well the group didn't miss the sounds that came from the area. One particular sound had them all confused, unsure of what it could be. A loud popping sound rang out throughout the forest only for a brief second before it faded away.

"That sounded like a small explosion..." Sango said in wonder, Miroku nodding in agreement.

"Keh! Whatever it is, it ain't getting away!" InuYasha replied in his usual arrogant tone.

_'That sounded too close to a gunshot...'_ was all Kagome could think. It wasn't like she heard an actual gunshot before, but she had seen some of the movies that Souta loved to watch. The sounds were similar..._too_ similar for her liking. Though it didn't make sense, guns like those didn't exist in this time. It could have been something else; maybe she was over thinking it. But considering the dreams she's had with Fayth, and what she has seen Fayth do in those dreams...it seemed entirely plausible.

Soon the well came into view and they were in awe at what they saw, or rather, what they didn't see. Sango, Miroku, and Shippou dismounted Kirara while InuYasha lowered himself to the ground enough so Kagome could get off. The group approached the area cautiously; unsure of whether or not their eyes were deceiving them. The area seemed as tranquil as ever, the breeze passing by them softly; the rustling of trees heard and the grass being swayed to the direction of the wind.

"There is no one here..." Miroku said in amazement.

"But what was it we saw then?" Sango wondered aloud.

"Don't kid yourselves...there was a fight here...I can still smell the stench of demon." InuYasha replied, his head tilted up slightly so he could smell the surroundings. There was definitely the stench of what was probably a snake demon around. He could smell the charred flesh and assumed it was burned alive. What caught him off guard though was the second scent in the area. It smelled almost identical to Kagome's sweet scent. Almost, except it was slightly different, the aroma was spicier. It didn't make sense, Kagome was with them the whole time, and there was no possibility for her to be in two places at once. Then the next scent hit him hard, the scent of blood. _This_ scent was practically identical to Kagome's. He rushed over to Kagome on instinct, stopping right in front of her and lifting her left arm up to inspect it.

"Did you cut yourself or something?" he asked, lowering the left arm to inspect the right one.

"N-no…" was all she could reply, confused with his actions.

Lowering the other arm InuYasha got closer to Kagome, his nose practically at her neck, sniffing at her, trying to determine if it was her blood he smelled. After a couple of whiffs he knew that it wasn't hers and backed away, only to be met by a madly blushing Kagome. Her gaze met his for a brief second before she turned her head away in embarrassment. InuYasha opened his mouth, about to say something until Miroku cut in.

"InuYasha, the aura around here is pure...like a miko was here."

InuYasha turned around immediately to face the monk. "A miko? You sure?"

Miroku answered with a single nod.

"Could it be...?" Kagome began to ask before trailing off.

"No." was all InuYasha could say. She was dead, they all saw her die. It couldn't be her.

"Either way, we should investigate. From the intensity of that light we can't be sure of whom we may be dealing with." Sango said, trying to lift the cloud that suddenly loomed over them with the thought of the dead miko.

Nothing was said. It wasn't necessary. Miroku, Sango, and Shippou again were mounted on Kirara, who took flight into the sky, leaving InuYasha and Kagome alone.

"InuYasha...?" she called out softly, walking towards the hanyou.

"Let's go, we have to catch up." InuYasha said, his face turned away from her gaze. He crouched down, waiting for her to get on. Kagome's heart sank at the tone of his voice. He sounded so sad, so distant from her. Silently she climbed onto InuYasha, securing her hold on his shoulders before they took off after the others.

* * *

Fayth didn't care where she was headed. She just needed to get away, she needed to hide herself. She ran past the thick trees, leaping over the various roots that jutted out of the ground. Her mind was in such a rush that she couldn't feel the branches scraping against her bare skin, some actually breaking through and drawing blood. She was confused, she was angry.

She was scared.

That feeling, being scared, she rarely felt in her entire lifetime. Fear...anxiety...the things weren't ingrained in her. Even so, this fear never felt as intense as it did now. She didn't know where she was, she was alone as far as she could tell, she didn't know where she was headed, and to top it all off; she was still badly injured. Thankfully, her life of endless training had her develop enough strength and stamina to keep running for hours. Because that was what it felt like, endless hours of running. Fayth's arm still throbbed in pain, and the added pain from her legs wasn't helping. But she wouldn't stop running, not until she could distance herself enough to go into hiding. The faint sound of running water hit her ears, and she smirked as she quickened her pace to get closer to the source.

* * *

"Damn it all..." InuYasha muttered under his breath. Whoever this priestess was...she was fast.

They had been behind her trail, following the scent of blood that was left behind. No one spoke a word since they left. And it infuriated InuYasha. He didn't understand why all the silence, and he certainly didn't understand the glaring looks that he got from the trio riding on the nekomata above him. What the hell were they mad at him for? He didn't do anything as far as he was concerned. Though, besides being infuriated, he was also a bit saddened by Kagome's own silence. Usually she would be goading him to go faster, or say something that would tick him off. But this time, he was only met with silence from her part; and with her riding on his back, he couldn't see her face.

Kagome wasn't sure what to think. Her mind raced with many possibilities as to who the mysterious person could be. However, one of the possibilities that crossed her mind had her in pain.

Kikyou.

Although it seemed impossible, it wouldn't be the first time that she was believed dead, only to reappear once again. She couldn't help the sadness, the jealousy, which crept into her heart. She wasn't heartless; she did feel saddened by Kikyou's death. Kikyou loved InuYasha, and if it weren't for Naraku's treachery, they would have lived out their lives together. She was a victim to his tricks, and that in turn made her spiteful towards InuYasha...at least at first. As time went by, her hatred was lessened, and the love between them began to show through. Although it pained Kagome to admit it, she knew that had Kikyou lived then InuYasha wouldn't have hesitated to run to her. She was, after all, second place.

As her mind sunk itself into a deeper depression she almost didn't notice that InuYasha squeezed her thighs for a brief moment, as if in reassurance. The moment was so brief, that she doubted herself on whether or not she actually felt it. But the thought that he wanted to reassure her, it brought her great relief. So she willed herself to believe it true, if only to bring her temporary relief, while they continued to track down the mysterious miko.

* * *

When Fayth finally arrived at the river bank, she didn't hesitate for a moment as she unbuckled the pouch and her gun holsters, tossing them aside before and jumping right in. The water was freezing, and she was sure that she would get sick later, but the important thing right now was to camouflage herself as best she could to hide. She dunked her head in several times, trying her best to wash away her scent; it was only then that she could feel the various stinging cuts left on her body from all the running.

After doing this repeatedly for three minutes straight, she finally walked back onto the grass. Wringing her clothes as best she could to force the water out, she then secured her pouch, two guns and the holsters back on her before pulling out another small bottle of clear liquid. She rubbed the liquid over every exposed parts of her body, wincing in the pain it brought her before bending down and scooping up a handful of dirt with her two hands. She looked at the dirt for a brief second in doubt before she started rubbing it all over her, on her arms, her stomach, her neck, her face, even on her clothes. Finally, satisfied that the dirt would help mask her scent, she started running again. She wouldn't stop until she could find civilization, until she could find someone who could answer her questions.

She needed to know where she was, where Itsuki was, and where Naraku was; so she could personally choke the life away from him.

He was going to pay for all of this.

A menacing presence had her quickly snap her head towards the trees, her body tense as she felt someone watching her.

"Who's there?!" She yelled out, her left hand resting on her gun again although she wasn't sure why since, if the previous events were any indication, her guns are useless here.

A tall figure stepped out from behind the trees; he had dark unruly hair and wore what appeared to be clothes from ancient noblemen. She stood in place, trying to assess the person before her.

"My, I apologize for frightening you...do you need help?" the man asked, eying Fayth's wounds.

"No, I just need to call my friends...they'll be here soon" she replied, her words sounding completely unsure.

"Well my village has a hut built for travelers...you may spend the night there to await you companions." he said, taking a step towards her which had her take a step back in response.

"I assure you I'm fine." she responded, her left hand now clutching at her wounded arm tightly.

"From what I can see you are not fine. I can see the pain and torment in your soul." the man said, a wicked smile forming on his lips.

"W-what?!" Fayth questioned, her eyes growing wide in surprise.

"Yes...I can see it now. You life has been marked by tragedy...but the biggest torment seems to be from a man. A man whom you are looking for..."

"What the hell are you?!"

The man's expression became twisted, his lips twisted into a menacing grin. "You shall make for an excellent meal...and a superior fertilizer for my flowers..."

Before Fayth could reach for her gun several vines shot up from the ground. They attempted to encircle themselves around her legs but she was able to jump up and out of the way. Midway through the jump though, another vine shot up from behind and wrapped itself around her ankle, slamming her body back down to the ground. She struggled to get to her feet but it was too late, the other vines had already wrapped itself tightly around her whole body, lifting her up so she could be eye to eye with the strange man.

"Don't struggle against it, you shall soon find the peace you crave for..." the man said.

"You...b..bastard"

The grip from the vines became tighter, making it harder for her to breathe. Her vision was becoming blurry and her breath labored. The taunting laugh from the man was the last thing she could hear before complete darkness engulfed her.

* * *

InuYasha and the group arrived at a river before he abruptly stopped. The others landed right next to him, watching him in confusion.

"What's the matter InuYasha?" Miroku asked.

"I lost the scent..." InuYasha replied, sniffing around the area to see if he could pick it back up.

"Look!" Sango called out, pointing at the ground.

The others raced to where the taijiya stood and saw an area where the dirt was disturbed. What was worse was what they saw further ahead, drag marks leading further up into the forest.

"It looks like someone was forcibly dragged..." Miroku said, his hand resting on his chin while he was in deep thought.

"Like it matters!" InuYasha replied before picking up Kagome again.

"He's right; we should continue to follow the trail before it gets old." Sango concluded, hopping back onto Kirara before she flew off to follow InuYasha.

"InuYasha...are you okay? You haven't had much rest since..." Kagome trailed off, unable to speak the rest of the sentence.

"I'm fine. My body is stronger than a weak human's." InuYasha replied, increasing his speed to show that he wasn't fatigued.

They continued their journey, following the trail left for them. The question burned into each of their minds.

Who was the miko at the end of the trail?

* * *

OMGERD! LE INEVITABLE MEETING IS UPON UUUUSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! SOUND THE BELLS!

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


	9. Flowers Drenched in Sadness

A/N: From this point onwards I will be using the titles from episodes or manga chapters that the chapter is following. For example, this chapter is called **Flowers Drenched in Sadness** because it is the chapter that follows episode 10 of the Final Act. If there is a chapter that isn't named after one of the episodes or manga chapters then it means that it is an additional chapter that I have added in for whatever reason (Character development, comedic relief, etc) that has nothing to do with the Final Act timeline. Now if there are additional scenes or details in a chapter with an episode name then it's because I have added more stuff in it. Just giving you all the heads up~

Also please remember as I said before, I may switch between the dialogue from the manga to the one used in the anime...it depends on which one better conveys what I want to express. For this chapter you may see me switch between both...I like the angst that the anime has in certain parts.

**Disclaimer**: Sadly I do not own InuYasha or any of the characters mentioned **except** for Kiyoye Fayth de la Rosa, Itsuki Taisho, Seishirou Taisho, and Negumi Konoe. The character Zarudin belongs to my friend who is known as Zaru-kun on DeviantArt. I have his permission to use the character for the story.

InuYasha and the other characters that originate from the actual manga/anime belong to the amazing Rumiko Takahashi. Because if InuYasha were mine...InuYasha and Kagome would have had their babies...many tiny hanyou babies! 3

* * *

**Chapter 9: Flowers Drenched in Sadness**

* * *

After following the forest path for several hours the group was welcomed with the sight of a clearing sky and a small village ahead, completely surrounded in beautiful pink flowers. The village seemed small, only about ten huts from what they could tell, but it would be a welcomed rest from the long day of travel.

"This village is completely surrounded in flowers..." Kagome mused, leaning down closer to them to inhale the sweet scent.

"Somehow...the fragrance relaxes my heart..." Sango said, also taking her time inhaling the aroma.

Miroku looked back towards InuYasha and Shippou who seemed agitated. "What's the matter, InuYasha, Shippou?"

"Rather than relaxed" InuYasha pointed a claw to his nose "this scent is making me queasy."

Shippou began to sniff around from his perch on InuYasha's shoulder, sneezing repeatedly every time he sniffed; causing InuYasha to groan in annoyance. The sound of Kirara sneezing had them all stop and wonder why the two demons were suddenly sneezing.

"You there, are you travelers?"

The group turned around and were met by an elderly man and a middle aged woman.

"The sun is setting soon." the old man continued.

"It would be best for you to stay in the village" the middle aged woman said.

"It's okay?" Kagome questioned.

"That was lucky" Miroku said.

With that the three began to follow behind the two villagers; leaving behind a very irritated InuYasha.

"Hey! What's with making that decision on one little story!" InuYasha yelled out to the group.

"Ah, I'm tired" Sango said, stretching her arms out as she walked.

Miroku glanced back towards the hanyou "Come on, hurry up, InuYasha."

"Don't ignore me, Hey!"

"May I ask a question?" The two villagers looked back towards Kagome "You would have happened to see a...miko pass by this village have you?"

"Why no, I can't say that we have..." the elderly man replied.

"Oh, I see."

"Well maybe if you stay here for the night you may run into her?"

"Well, thank you anyway." Kagome replied with a small smile.

After a couple of minutes they stopped in front of a rather modestly sized hut. The two villagers turned to the group of travelers.

The elderly man spoke first. "This house was set up for travelers; so please use it as you wish."

"We greatly appreciate this, thank you." Kagome replied with a slight bow.

"Anyway, goodnight" the elderly man finished, turning away along with the woman to walk off.

While the others stayed outside to watch the two villagers walk off InuYasha immediately went inside and sat down in a corner. "Sheesh, ain't they carefree?" he scoffed from his corner.

Kagome turned to look towards InuYasha, concern clear in her voice. "But aren't you tired as well, InuYasha?"

"Keh. Just sitting here and taking a rest is hard."

Sango became visibly irritated at InuYasha's sour mood. "Honestly, he just won't shut up. Kagome-chan please tell him to sit."

InuYasha was completely frozen from the statement, afraid that Kagome would actually indulge Sango and send him into a painful crater.

Yet Kagome didn't say the dreadful word and instead replied "Not right now". _'He can't help it...InuYasha still hasn't gotten over Kikyou's death'_ she thought solemnly while she set her backpack down.

Not much was said during the rest of the evening. Their chatter was mostly about trivial matters, the weather, the scenery of the flowers, where that mysterious priestess could have gone. InuYasha was the most silent, preferring to stay in his corner, thinking about Kikyou. He couldn't help it, the guilt kept eating at him. He hadn't been able to find a decent night's sleep since she had died. He promised that he would protect her, he promised to defeat Naraku for her...so she wouldn't have to fight.

But he failed.

In more ways than one.

The guilt multiplied **ten-fold**.

He tried to forget about her but couldn't. Then, without fully realizing it, he fell in love with Kagome too. He loved them both, each in their own way. With Kikyou, he was bound by past feelings and a promise. With Kagome, he was bound by his present feelings. He knew, **knew**, that he shouldn't have fallen in love with Kagome. He was honor bound to Kikyou, to join her in death. But he did, and found himself wanting to stay more and more with Kagome. He had at one point even refused to go after Kikyou and instead stayed with Kagome. InuYasha had never felt so low, he hurt them...he hurt them both.

He couldn't forgive even himself.

Kagome watched InuYasha during the whole evening and couldn't help the feeling of sadness, of loneliness. He loved Kikyou, he was mourning...he couldn't forget her. The thought of being alone in the world, it was a lonely prospect. Kami, she felt terrible. She should be sympathizing with him, instead she was thinking solely on herself.

_" Do not doubt the feelings of the one whom you love; for if you allow doubt to creep into your hearts...if you turn the pure love into anger and hate...you will both be corrupted."_

Kikyou. What could she have meant when she said those words? If anything, InuYasha's feelings were as clear as day. He loves Kikyou. She couldn't help the feelings that surged with that simple fact. She was so selfish...

She felt like the worst person in the whole world.

The night crept up sooner than they thought and soon the group found themselves asleep on their futons.

Everyone except InuYasha.

For some reason, sleep was again allusive...although this time for a different reason. _'The scent of the flowers has gotten stronger...Dammit...it's giving me a disgusting feeling...'_

_'It's like my heart is being irritated'_

He was brought out of his inner thoughts by the sound of Kagome's voice. "InuYasha...what if you layed down a bit?" He looked over to see Kagome awake and sitting up, looking back at him.

"You've got to be tired, right?" she asked. _'Ever since the day Kikyou died'_ "You probably haven't gotten any decent sleep."

Before he was able to answer her they were interrupted by Shippou, who began to sneeze.

"Shippou-chan?" Kagome turned to pull out a pack of tissues, pulling one out and holding it at his nose "Blow your nose."

The young kitsune did as he was told. "What's going on?" he asked "My eyes are all itchy."

"Isn't it because of all the flowers in this village?" InuYasha asked.

"Allergies?" Kagome wondered aloud.

"Aller...what?"

The sound of movement outside drew their attention away from the conversation. InuYasha slowly slid open the screen, enough for him and Kagome to see outside. There they saw the villagers, all gathered amongst the flowers.

"I thought this was an odd village." InuYasha said while they both continued watching the villagers. "Even though it didn't seem very prosperous...They'd gone out of their way to prepare a lodging house for travelers..."

They could hear the villagers talking to themselves, but the words didn't fully register to them once they saw what was happening. From the ground flower vines crept up, wrapping themselves around the villagers. Instead of being afraid or calling out for help, they instead stood perfectly still...and they looked happy. The most unsettling part though, was the trail of blood tears that ran down their faces. Kagome was completely shocked _'What...? Tears of blood...? What's going on?!'_

"It's not like we can just let this continue." Miroku said from behind, his hand going into his robes to pull out a couple of sutras.

Kagome looked behind her to see that both Sango and Miroku were already awake and alert. "Miroku-sama"

Miroku threw the sutras towards the ground. The moment the pieces of paper made contact flashes of lightning sprung to life, engulfing the whole surrounding area. Once the lightning dissipated the villagers collapsed to the ground. The group ran out of the hut to tend to the injured villagers.

"Are you alright?" Kagome called out to the nearest elderly woman.

"Hang in there!" Miroku said, running over to another villager.

Kagome ran over to the woman, crouching down she was reaching her hand out to see if the woman was alright but something distracted her, leaving her immobilized.

_'Eh?! The ground is...in the form of people?!'_

InuYasha ran up in front of Kagome, while she stood up; too shocked to say anything. The ground was littered with human-like bodies. The bodies were of all ages, male and female. They seemed to be halfway integrated with the ground, the flowers covering their bodies.

"It is a nursery for the flowers."

The group all stopped in their tracks and turned to see the source of the voice. When they did they were met with a man with dark unruly hair, wearing clothes of a nobleman.

"What do you think? What other soil...would make them this happy?"

"Who the hell are you?!" InuYasha yelled out, his hand resting on Tetsusaiga, his eyebrowed furrowed in anger.

The man didn't reply, instead he turned towards the villagers who called out to him. "You all right, my villagers? That was a horrible thing you were forced to experience."

"Y-yes Kaou-sama..." one of the villagers replied, traces of the crimson tears still evident on their faces.

"Those who became soil were damaged." another said.

_'Became soil...'_ Kagome thought in shock.

"Bastard...you're a youkai aren't you?! What have you done to these people?!" InuYasha yelled out to the mysterious man.

"Oh? So you're sensing youkai? What you people are sensing now...must be contentment..."

InuYasha looked around, seeing the amount of flower petals floating around them had multiplied. _'The smell of flowers again...'_ he held his right hand up, his fire rate sleeve covering his nose, preventing him from inhaling that irritating scent. "Everyone, don't smell the stuff!" he yelled out to the others.

Kagome's eyes widened in surprise at his words, but Miroku's call was able to have the whole group turn towards him to see that Sango had already succumbed to the effect of the flowers. Miroku quickly reached out, and caught the taijiya before she fell onto the ground.

"How pitiful, that girl..." the demon began to say. "She is so unhappy not knowing where her little brother is."

_'Kohaku-kun...how does he know?!'_ Kagome wondered in surprise. She could see the vine still reaching out for both Sango and Miroku, although he was able to stave them off using his holy staff.

"And that houshi-dono there seems worried about his body. Are you afraid of death?" the demon asked. Miroku's eyes also became wide in surprise, his body completely stiff. "It's all right now. Just entrust your body to the flowers. If you do that, you will become happy."

"In your dreams, bastard!" InuYasha yelled out, pulling his sword from his sheath and holding it above his head. "Kaze no Kizu!" InuYasha swung his sword down to the ground, unleashing a fierce wave of energy towards the demon.

One the dust cleared they all looked to see if the demon was killed.

"He's gone!" InuYasha yelled out, the demon somehow managed to avoid the attack and escape them.

"But look!" Kagome pointed towards a patch of crimson blood staining the ground.

"Does this mean you were able to wound him?" Miroku asked, still cradling an unconscious Sango in his arms.

InuYasha looked back towards the group. "I'll follow the scent of blood! You guys wait here!"

Before he could leave Kagome spoke up. "I'm going, too!"

"Kagome...Keh, against that measly youkai...just me should be enough!"

"No it's not! Besides, that Kaou guy..."

"That's right InuYasha..." Miroku spoke up "Kaou is likely using the pain and suffering of people's hearts as nourishment."

_'And because of how InuYasha is about Kikyou right now...'_ Kagome looked away from him briefly, not wanting InuYasha to see her worry over him.

"Keh, and I told you I don't have as weak a constitution as humans!" InuYasha replied, turning around and running off after the demon.

Kagome watched his retreating figure briefly before she began to run after him.

"Kagome-sama!" Miroku called out. Kagome turned around to face him, watching as he pulled out what looked to be a bead bracelet. "Take this..." He gave the item to her "it's a warding talisman."

"Thank you." Kagome slipped the item around her wrist. "Take care of Sango-chan and the villagers." With that Kagome turned back and ran after InuYasha.

* * *

"Everything is going to plan..." the shadowed figure said while looking into a strange mirror, watching Kagome run up to InuYasha before getting onto his back.

"You fucking bastard..." Another shadowed figure said, his arms chained to the wall, preventing any movement from him. "What the hell do you gain from doing all this?!" he yelled, struggling against the chains, willing himself to try and break free.

The first figure chuckled. "Well now...I would have expected better behavior from a Taisho...you disappoint me Itsuki."

Itsuki looked at the figure, anger clear in his expression. "Fuck you!" he spat out. He would have given anything to be able to burn the person in front of him with his gaze. "Where is she Naraku?!"

Naraku came closer to him, looking down at Itsuki, watching him fruitlessly struggle against the chains that kept him pinned to the wall. "If everything goes as planned, you shall see her soon..." he replied before turning around and walking away, the albino child holding the strange mirror following behind him.

"Damn you!" Itsuki cursed out, his struggle now renewed with added fervor. He had to find her; that damned Naraku couldn't keep her away forever. He wasn't sure what Naraku had in plan for her, or even for him, but he wouldn't let him hurt her. He **needed** to find her, they needed to escape. Wherever she was now...

He would find her.

* * *

After a while of tracking the scent, InuYasha and Kagome arrived at what appeared to be a very elegant and expensive mansion. InuYasha leapt over the high wall, landing just a small distance away from the entrance. "It's that castle. There's no doubt." he said, lowering himself so that Kagome could get back on her feet.

"This place is covered in flowers too..." Kagome said, looking at their surroundings. There wasn't a single patch of land that was free of the strange flowers.

"Welcome to my castle..."

InuYasha and Kagome both turned towards the entrance to see the same demon from before, standing in front of the castle, seemingly unharmed.

"Why you..." InuYasha instinctively placed his hand on his sword, ready to unsheathe it.

"Oh, never mind that violence from before..." the demon said, his composure completely calm. "I wasn't injured in the slightest. That blood was an invitation..."

"Keh! So you were intending to lure me here!" he growled.

"Of course...because your heart is..."

Before he could finish InuYasha and Kagome were startled to see the flowers around InuYasha turn red, the color spreading out into a wide area.

_'The flowers became red...like the color of blood!'_ Kagome thought, completely still from the shock.

_'Dammit...my body...won't move!' _InuYasha struggled, trying to move his body away from the flowers, but his struggles were useless; his body wouldn't respond. From the ground, several flower vines slithered up from the ground, wrapping around InuYasha legs.

"Just as I thought...Your soul is deteriorating." the demon stated, watching as InuYasha continued to struggle against the vines. "Your pain was transmitted to me through the vines and pollen...The woman you loved most in this world is dead, isn't she?...So depressing isn't it? That you'd wish to follow after her..."

"Shut up!" InuYasha yelled out, while Kagome stood behind, motionless. Her eyes wide as his words processed through her mind.

"Come...and I shall set your mind at ease...as I did _hers_..."

The vines strengthened their hold, pulling InuYasha down to the ground. The flowers now turned into a sea of blood, swallowing him in. He yelled out, trying to break free again, seeing his body sink into the strange liquid.

"InuYasha!" Kagome yelled, running over to him she kneeled down and reached her hand out to grasp him but it was too late, he was gone. _'He's been dragged under?!'_ she looked over to where Kaou was standing _'Kaou disappeared too...'_ Instantly her mind replayed the words that Kaou said in her head. The words producing a tremendous pain within her.

_"The woman you loved most in this world is dead, isn't she?...So depressing isn't it? That you'd wish to follow after her..."_

A flash of light brought her attention down to her arm. Without noticing, several flower vines had sprouted from the ground, attempting to wrap themselves around her body but weren't able to touch her. As soon as they neared her body a crackle of light from the talisman would purify the vines. She remembered what Miroku told her, it was a warding talisman.

"I see..." she brought her hand up, seeing the talisman around her wrist. "So the flowers can't touch my heart..." She looked back up to the castle, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, the pain and sadness evident in her face.

_'That's why...I still feel sad.'_

* * *

Ended it here, you guys must hate me for ending on such a sad note...But do not fear! I shall not torture you guys for long~

Poor Kagome...it makes me teary eyed just remembering that chapter/episode...

Also Itsuki is alive! So it isn't all that bad right?

*shot*

Please do not forget to leave some constructive criticism!~ I really hope to gain some feedback on how to improve myself as I keep moving forward~

Until next time!~


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